In his report, Mr Mathieson said recorded crimes of violence, indecency, dishonesty and vandalism/fire-raising had been reduced by 4.8% on 2007/08, from 21,593 to 20,548.

The detection rate increased by 2.9% over the same period, with 47.6% of crimes reported to the police in the last year being solved.

Mr Mathieson said, “These figures represent the lowest crime reported within the Tayside Police area for at least a decade and our best ever detection figures.

“Our road casualty figures are the lowest ever on record and we are targeting and arresting considerably more drug offenders.”

Break-ins to homes across the region were reduced by a fifth, from 911 to 725, and the detection rate was improved by 3.8%, although it remains under one in three.

There were also substantial reductions in car crime and vandalism and corresponding increases in cases cleared up.

The report says the number of people reported for Class A drug offences increased by 36% during 2008/09 to just under one every day.

Mr Mathieson said the only negative in the figures was the reported incidence of violent crime — up 14% to 696 crimes.

“Much of this increase has arisen from a change in recording practices for cruelty to children offences which sit within this category,” he said.

“Previously, multiple incidents involving the same victim/locality were grouped together and reported as one ‘crime’ but for this year we recorded each incident as an individual crime.

“As a consequence, there has been an increase in the number of reported crimes in this category of 53% over the last year.

“Two other crimes in this classification, serious assault and robbery, are the focus of our current crime reduction efforts.”

The report also notes there were 10 fewer people killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads, a reduction of 3.8% on 2007/08’s figure of 260.

In his headline performance report, Mr Mathieson also revealed a huge improvement in call handling following a review of the force’s communications centre.

A series of measures were implemented after Mr Mathieson instigated the review in April 2008 in response to concerns over call handling.

By the fourth quarter of 2008/09, 97% of emergency 999 calls were being answered within the target time of 10 seconds, compared with 88% in the first quarter.

The chief constable said, “This was the best cumulative end of year result recorded in the last three years, with individual monthly response rates peaking in January and March of 2009 at 97%.”