One of Victoria's most senior policemen has blamed rank and file officers for failing to stop the Bourke Street massacre.

The stinging criticism comes as the coroner releases an explosive secret report into the force’s action on the day.

Assistant Police Commissioner Steve Fontana has blamed rank and file officers for failing to track Bourke Street murderer James Gargasoulas. Credit:Simon Schluter

On Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana told an inquest into the tragedy that St Kilda police officers, who’d laid charges against Gargasoulas in the days before he killed six people, failed to fully escalate his risk of offending, create an adequate arrest plan or raise their concerns up the “chain of command” after he was bailed.

“They had no real plan around bail management,” he said.