Vancouver's property crime rate continues to drop

Vancouver's property crime rate continues to drop, according to the latest report by the police department.

The report showed property crime decreased 7.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2011 when compared with the same period in 2010, continuing a downward trend in recent years.

In the first quarter of 2007 there were nearly 11,000 property crimes reported in Vancouver, compared to nearly 8,000 in 2011, reflecting a drop of more than 24 per cent in the crime rate, when the city's population growth was factored in.

The number of violent incidents remained roughly the same over the past five years, with 1,680 incidents reported in the first quarter of 2007 and 1,640 incidents reported in 2011.

But when the city's population growth was factored in, the violent crime rate dropped by 10 per cent over the five year period.

Police response times also dropped from around 11 minutes to nine minutes over the five year period.

"The VPD’s strategic plan to make Vancouver the safest city in Canada is making good progress," said Mayor Gregor Robertson in a statement released on Thursday.

Despite the falling crime rates, Vancouver still has one of the highest crime rates on the continent, according to a report issued by the B.C. Progress Board last December.