ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the development of character in policing in terms of the role of training. From the perspective of virtue ethics, this is particularly important to understand because virtues are practised and trained over time and an important element in cultivating virtues is habit. In our view, training is another under-examined aspect of police work. The chapter describes the important theme of front-line work when considering why some describe policing as an "impossible job". The role of training is also significant because cultivating and encouraging certain habits is a common way to explain the development of character. Virtue and character are also often used to explain and understand what people do in moments of crisis, danger or risk. To locate one's understanding of character in terms of the broader framework of virtue ethics as a whole, the chapter begins with discussion of the ideal of "the good life".