This paper focuses on character and virtues within the context of professional police practice. We argue that currently, the ethical dimensions of police work feature insufficiently in professional police debates, at a time when the contested nature of police work becomes ever more evident. The paper applies a virtue lens, drawing specifically upon MacIntyre’s notion of a practice, to redress this shortcoming. We identify and discuss opportunities to develop reflective, ethical practice as a routine, embedded approach to learning and development within policing through continuous professional development across all aspects of police work.