When resources are stretched to the limit, effective policing is as much about the imaginative deployment of resources as the numbers of bobbies on the beat.

Similarly, breaking vicious circles of crime calls for a measure of lateral thinking. It means embracing fresh approaches that may be controversial.

An initiative in North Lanarkshire, which involves focusing energy and resources on a small number of problem families, could be portrayed as rewarding bad behaviour. And yet the latest crime figures from the North Lanarkshire police division suggest this novel approach is working.

Local officers, in conjunction with local authority housing and social work staff, use a mix of carrot and stick to get young males – perceived as being on the verge of a life of crime – diverted into sporting activities, training and ultimately employment. Boxing clubs, outward bound weekends and giving these young men a taste of the world of work all feature in the programme.

The results appear to speak for themselves. Serious assaults were down by 20% last year and are still falling. Incidents of youth disorder have fallen by more than 40% in two years.

It is important to put these figures into context. Serious assaults right across Strathclyde – the largest and most violent force area in Scotland – also fell last year, though only by 9%. Anti-social crimes also fell.

Several factors may account for this. The increase of 1000 officers across Scotland, pledged by the SNP manifesto in 2007, must surely have played a part in this because of the deterrent effect of a more visible police presence.

Also, Scotland's multi-agency Violence Reduction Unit, whose work was praised in the wake of the English summer riots, has helped tackle unacceptable behaviour.

Nevertheless, the North Lanarkshire initiative warrants detailed analysis and evaluation. Tackling violent crime is expensive. It is estimated the fall in serious assaults following the scheme's introduction saved the public purse £2million.

It is common knowledge that relatively small numbers of hardened criminals are responsible for the bulk of crime. Keeping a single individual in prison for a year costs £40,000.

It follows that diverting a young man from a dysfunctional family into a more positive outlet for his energies is a worthwhile investment in purely economic as well as human terms.

The proof of the pudding will be in how many of these young men are in work in a year or two and how many are in prison,