Implementing an asset-based approach: A case study of innovative community policing from Hawkhill, Scotland
| Author | Liz Frondigoun,Robert Smith,Keith Jack |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X20935965 |
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
2021, Vol. 94(3) 353 –371
Article
Implementing an asset-
based approach: A case
study of innovative
community policing from
Hawkhill, Scotland
Keith Jack
Police Scotland, UK
Liz Frondigoun
University of the West of Scotland, UK
Robert Smith
University of the West of Scotland, UK
Abstract
This case study reports on a 5-year project which has been running in Hawkhill, a
deprived area in central Scotland where violent crime was also of concern. It highlights
the steps necessary to move from theory to implementation: the process and impact of
change of a unique, innovative police/partnership policy within the framework of
Scottish Policing. Through auto-ethnography it reports on utilising an asset-based
approach for reducing offending, improving health, well-being and local community
conditions by supporting and building on its assets, connecting people and creating
conditions for respectful, meaningful, partnership working where all partners can make
a valuable contribution.
Keywords
Assets, communities, policing, violence
Corresponding author:
Liz Frondigoun, Senior Lecturer, University of the West of Scotland, High St, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK.
Email: liz.frondigoun@uws.ac.uk
The Police Journal:
Theory, Practice and Principles
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DOI: 10.1177/0032258X20935965
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354 The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles 94(3)
Introduction
With the recent UK wide focus on how best to address what is perceived as an increase
in violence we report here on one such Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU)
asset-based initiative that was successfully implemented in Central Scotland to address
such issues. Although asset-based approaches [ABAs] (Green, 2007; Paterson and
Best, 2015; Roy, 2016; Siegal, 2005; Walker, 2006) are well established from a the-
oretical perspective they are still relatively novel initiatives from a practical commu-
nity policing perspective
1
, particularly in a UK policing context. From a theoretical
and pragmatic perspective, ABAs, while taking cognisance of all community issues,
prioritise the positives whilst simultaneously recognising people as the primary asset.
When implemented effectively it is residents who decide ‘their’ priorities and it is the
role of the police, or initiating agency, to support and empower them in doing so. ABAs
as a methodology aim ‘ ...to mobilise and harness the skills, resources and talents of
individuals and communities. The central thrust is that communities should drive the
development process themselves through identifying and mobilising existing – often
unrecognised – assets and, in the process, respond to and create local economic
opportunities’ (Roy, 2016). The power and thus utility of the approach is that it
develops people through their collective experiences and social capital (Bourdieu,
1986: Putnam, 2000), whilst actively building resilience, knowledge, self-esteem, and
confidence. As an approach it is difficult to implement successfully, hence the value
and contribution of this case.
This case study narrates how this approach was first introduced and then imple-
mented; and how it has developed over time in a socially excluded and deprived area of
central Scotland. Exclusion in this context has less to do with the ‘difficult to reach’
and is more concerned with the difficulty of effective engagement for the police and
authorities. In short, the difficulties of implementing the theoretical. The beneficiaries
of such approaches will invariably be the people who most need support. In this case,
the asset-based approach was facilitated by a Police Inspector seconded to the SVRU
who recognises the values of supporting the community in meaningful ways and
appreciates that it is an engaging role, not a Monday to Friday 9–5 pm job. The
Hawkhill case demonstrates the benefits of ‘leading from the back’ to enable commu-
nities to develop an ability to self-direct and problem solve. Police officers, due to their
community role, are ideally positioned to help support such an ABA through support-
ing communities, drawing on their networks to link them with policy makers and
service providers to facilitate engagement in meaningful discussions that will impact
positively and support change.
In this paper, we begin with a literature review theorising asset-based approaches
to contextualise the concept pre-implementation stage, followed by a methodology
section to explain the participatory, auto-ethnographic and action-based approaches
taken. Following that the action research is presented as a case study. The ensuing
sections contextualise the findings for the benefit of readers. The conclusion sum-
marises these benefits and the implications thereof before considering limitations to
its implementation.
2The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles XX(X)
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