Robbery, property crimes and some violent offences committed in the Yukon were down last year, but drug-related offences in the territory have increased, according to a Statistics Canada survey.

The territory's overall crime rate has risen 3.4 per cent, but that's because the RCMP have clamped down on street-level crime, says Lesley Carberry, director of crime prevention and policing for the Department of Justice.

"I would suggest that the increase is because we're targeting drug-related crime," Carberry said in an interview last week.

"When you focus on issues that are related to violent crime, you expect to see a decrease there and that's what we're seeing, so we think it's a good news story."

Since the RCMP's Street Crime Reduction Team went into action in April 2007, there has been a 40 per cent increase in cannabis possession charges and a 146 per cent hike in cocaine-related charges.

Incidences of sexual assault rose 2.4 per cent, but the overall violent crime rate fell 2.7 per cent; the most significant decrease being an 11 per cent drop in robberies.

"Those rates are based on a population of 100,000," said Carberry, adding that one additional crime in any category can "totally change the percentages."

"Yukon's population is 30,000, so just one crime can change a stat for us, so there's a bit of caution that needs to be used when interpreting any statistics."

In 2007, police laid 60 sexual assault charges in the territory compared to 59 the previous year.

Like Carberry, Ryn Bunicich, executive director of Crime Prevention Yukon, says statistics can paint a general picture of what's happening but may not accurately reflect the realities.

"It's a number game, so to speak. If you look at 2007's (crime stats) and compare them to 2006, indeed we see an increase in some categories of crime and you see several of those have decreased so it gives us an overall view, but in general we do have a problem with crime in the North," he said Wednesday, just several hours after two sheds at his office were broken into.

"Over the last six months, we've had three break-and-enters, the last one being (last Wednesday) morning; it's really ironic."

According to the survey, break-and-enters dropped more than 25 per cent in 2007.

Crime Prevention Yukon, a non-governmental organization that has been operating out of Whitehorse for the last 13 years, aims to deal with the root problems of crime. Bunicich says more attention needs to be paid to prevention.

"I would like to call on the Yukon government to lead an effort to bring together all the important actors in the field of social services, like an interagency committee or platform," he said.

"You've got to focus on preventing crime instead of putting all your eggs in one basket, trying to reduce crime after it's happened. A large emphasis is put on after-the-fact measures such as policing and detaining."

Continuing to create and enhance recreational programs for youth is one avenue, and keeping kids in school and out of trouble is paramount, adds Bunicich.

"Inclusion is the word," he said.

"All community members need to be included in our daily life ... but it's not going to be easy; (crime) is a social problem that requires social solutions and that's more co-operation between governments and organizations that offer social services throughout the communities. This approach can be successful in counteracting the root causes of crime."