Four fifths of police officers believe character and virtues is central to policing says new study by the University of Birmingham

The poll offers a snapshot of the moral challenges that police officers in the UK face and how well equipped they consider themselves to be in facing those challenges. Polling carried out in January 2021 by Portland Communications on behalf of the University of Birmingham has found that nearly four fifths (79%) of police officers in the UK believe that character and virtues is a central part of police training, in order to carry out their duties. The survey which was commissioned by the Jubilee Centre for Character and virtues also concluded that 76% of those interviewed agreed that the Covid-19 pandemic has made policing more complicated and challenging. Indeed, 54% of officers have considered quitting their jobs in the last year. However, the poll of 406 serving officers, mostly police constables, but also of other ranks, from across British police services reported some positive findings for the place of character and virtues in British policing. It found that more than three quarters (78%) of officers agreed that their training equipped them to feel confident responding to the ethical dilemmas that they face at work. Further, participants in the poll reported that honesty and bravery were the two most important virtues to them, personally.