A national search to find Victoria's next top cop after the chief commissioner was forced out is expected to take months.
Rick Nugent will be re-sworn as a Victoria Police officer as early as Wednesday ahead of taking over as acting commissioner, Premier Jacinta Allan has confirmed.
The former deputy commissioner will step into the void after Shane Patton quit the job on Sunday following a damning no-confidence vote.
Mr Nugent is leaving his post as emergency management commissioner but cannot become the acting police boss until he re-enters the ranks.
Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam is leading the force until then, while State Emergency Service chief officer Tim Wiebusch will act in Mr Nugent's emergency management position.
The search for Mr Patton's permanent replacement is under way, with the role to advertised and candidates interviewed.
"Senior executive appointments such as this often take at least a few months," Ms Allan told reporters on Tuesday.
Mr Patton fell on his sword after the government ruled his position was untenable.
Of the 14,571 Police Association members who voted on the no-confidence motion, more than 12,600 - or 87 per cent - said they did not have confidence Mr Patton could lead the force anymore.
Mr Patton, who joined the force at 16, initially vowed to stay on after the vote result, but information soon leaked he had been told his contract would not be renewed.
Ms Allan said the "overwhelming" result could not be ignored, and triggered numerous confidential conversations with senior government officials.
The premier refused to say if she or Police Minister Anthony Carbines had a direct conversation with Mr Patton, if his contract was being paid out or if he had been forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Opposition police spokesman David Southwick said Mr Patton was "thrown under a bus" and made "political scapegoat" for woes within the force and broader crime issues.
"Make no mistake, this was a sacking," he said.
"The motion of no confidence should be in the police minister. The police minister is not up to the job, plain and simple."
He likened Mr Patton's unceremonious exit to being broken up over text message.
"The police minister couldn't even find the decency to call the commissioner and tell him the bad news," Mr Southwick said.
The opposition is not considering moving a no-confidence motion in the parliament against Mr Carbines or the premier, but plan to prosecute the fiasco in Question Time on Tuesday afternoon.
