Changes to police disciplinary processes should be considered, including holding officer misconduct hearings in public, a review by the Policing Board has suggested.
The Policing Board said it was aware of the difficulties public hearings would pose in the North of Ireland
It follows cases of sexual harassment and misogyny highlighted by the media.
The board has written to the Department of Justice (DoJ) making a number of recommendations which would require legislative change.
It also urged the police to make "better use" of its sacking powers.
Following a review of professional standards, the board has made six recommendations for improvement.
The actions of the PSNI officer in this sickening act can only be described as utterly depraved and pure sectarianism
They included having disciplinary panels chaired by a legally-qualified person, instead of an assistant chief constable, as happens presently.
PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said the report and recommendations were welcomed and had highlighted a "number of areas where changes to the current police misconduct systems will improve performance" as well as helping to improve public confidence in policing.
The board also stated holding proceedings in public, as happens in other parts of the UK, "should be explored".
"Whilst there is no doubt as to the benefits of hearings in public, the board is aware of the difficulties this would pose in Northern Ireland."
The board also recommended the police make "better use" of existing powers to dismiss new recruits if behavioural issues arise during their probationary periods.
It called for quicker disciplinary processes and for investment in the police professional standards department.
The board noted there had been recent improvement around vetting procedures.
The review followed concerns raised within the police and by the media.
It made reference to the case of Sinead McGrotty, a civilian employed by the police, who said she was let down after making allegations of sexual assault against an officer.
BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight programme also exposed a group of 20 officers who were exchanging sexist, pornographic and racist messages. exchanging sexist, pornographic and racist messages.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme, Ms McGrotty said the police misconduct system "has to be modernised".
She welcomed the review's recommendation to replace the assistant Chief Constable as chair of misconduct hearings.
The police officer in Sinead McGrotty's case was fined £250 after accepting an allegation of inappropriate touching
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has also been engaged in an internal review of vetting and whistle-blowering arrangements in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard in London.
The chair of the Policing Board Doug Garrett said: "The board is mindful of the negative impact this issue has had on both public confidence in policing and the reputation of the PSNI.
Mark Hamilton added the board had acknowledged the work police had already carried out in "raising awareness within the service of the standards and behaviours expected of our officers and staff".
"The Police Service of Northern Ireland expects the highest standards of professionalism and integrity from all of our police officers and staff," the deputy chief constable said.
He said breaches of the law and the code would be "thoroughly investigated and robustly dealt with" in accordance with the police procedures.
"We are currently considering the recommendations for improvement made by the board and we will work with them to set out our implementation plan moving forward," he added.
Liam Kelly, from the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, said the recommendation to explore holding disciplinary hearings in public would expose officers to unacceptable risks.
He said there are "some meaningful and sensible steps that could be taken to expedite hearings", but "the recommendation to ape what happens in England and Wales simply isn't a runner".
"Only recently, we witnessed an attack on two young officers in Strabane and a further cowardly attempt on colleagues in Derry-Londonderry," he added.
He said the representative body was "willing to engage with the Policing Board and the PSNI to devise and implement steps that are progressive and are not fanciful".
With many thanks to: BBC News NI and Julian O'Neill (NI Home Affairs Correspondent) for the original story.
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Follow these links to find out more on this story: PSNI/RUC officers exchange sexist, pornographic and sectarian and racist messages, Spotlight reveals
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