OTTAWA—The numbers, rates and severity of crimes reported to police dropped again last year, continuing a 10-year trend, Statistics Canada reports.

The numbers fly in the face of the federal Tory government's fretting about crime and the need for tougher laws and sentences.

The agency said nearly 2.2 million crimes were reported to police in 2009, about 43,000 fewer than in 2008.

Car thefts, break-ins and mischief cases accounted for most of the decline.

The crime rate, measure of the volume of crime reported to police, fell 3 per cent last year and was 17 per cent lower than a decade ago.

The crime severity index, which measures the seriousness of incidents reported, declined 4 per cent last year and was down 22 per cent from 1999.

Violent crimes, from harassing phone calls to homicide, accounted for about 1 in 5 crimes in 2009.

The report said violent crime is declining, but to a lesser extent than overall crime.

Police identified about 165,000 youth aged 12 to 17 accused of a criminal offence in 2009, a slight drop from 2008. Both the numbers and the seriousness of youth crimes have generally been declining since 2001.

While the statistics show a long-term decline in crime rates, the federal government continues to stress the threat.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews own web site says: ``Unfortunately, our safe streets and healthy communities are increasingly under threat of gun, gang and drug violence.''

Statistics Canada said its data are drawn from a census survey of all crimes known to, and substantiated by, police services, which uses a national standard of common categories and definitions.

The crime severity index weighs the seriousness of offences in accordance with court sentences; the higher the average sentence, the higher the weight for that offence.