Despite almost a third of Christchurch residents feeling unsafe out at night, the Justice Minister believes the latest crime statistics show the streets are safe.

The latest statistics show there's an almost eight-percent drop in crime in Canterbury, with sexual assault, theft and intent to injure offences all down.

Yet drugs, weapons and traffic offences all saw a rise.

Amy Adams says the recent safety survey is only done on a sample of Christchurch residents.

"Perceptions of safety certainly tell us one sense of how the community is feeling, but the good news is that crime rates in Christchurch are dropping.

"We've been working really hard to make sure the police are more visible, so we've had foot patrols up by 200 percent."