You hear about the statistician...

...who drowned in a lake that averaged only three feet deep?

-- TORONTO -- Citywide, crime statistics seem to underscore her cautious optimism: From murder to assault and sexual assault, from car theft to break-ins, nearly every serious-crime indicator has dropped in Toronto this year compared with the same six months in 2007.

Nonetheless, he agrees that drug dealing is the backdrop for a major swath of violent crime. “Robberies, shootings – it's all tied to drugs, you wouldn't have a lot of gangs if it wasn't for drugs.”

I'm guessing fuzzy-bunny statistics aren't much comfort though, to the friends and families of people who ran into the wall this holiday weekend...

An apparent abduction outside a Scarborough karaoke bar has police looking for three suspects.

Witnesses told police an Asian man was beaten in the parking lot outside Echo Karaoke Bar on Kennedy Rd., just south of Steeles Ave., before he was "forced against his will" into a silver van just after midnight today, Toronto Police said in a news release.

Two of the suspects were Asian men, 30 to 35 years old, about 5-foot-7, 150 lbs., with short hair and dark clothing. The third was an Asian woman, about 5-foot-7, 170 lbs., 40 to 45 years old, with shoulder-length hair and a brown purse.

And this unfortunate young lady...

Police have her name but are no closer to knowing how a young woman died at a rave in Markham over the weekend.

Nicole Le, 21, of Surrey, B.C., was found unconscious and frothing at the mouth at the back of Club Rio on Woodbine Ave. around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

And right next door... the bodycount rises...

Police say gunfire erupted at a house party and Glenford Asan Reid, 31, of Brampton was hit. Attempts by emergency personnel to treat Reid were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Roughly 30 minutes later more shots rang out at an apartment on Darcel Ave. in Malton. Police rushed to the scene near Goreway Dr. and Derry Rd. E. and found Orrin Marlon Earle, 28, of Mississauga. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

But don't you worry... the Globe and Mail says crime is going down.

Nothing to worry about here... move along.

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RELATED: One for the Taser-o-phobes

Accidental long-weekend deaths in Ontario alone... just blew past the yearly average total of taser fatalities for the whole country...

Drownings and traffic accidents claimed six lives over a Canada Day weekend that kept the OPP busy nailing motorists with 2,500 roadway violations.

OPP yesterday reported three fatalities and 250 crashes across the province -- many of the accidents caused by wet weather conditions.

The truth is... people just don't wanna see the light.

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WELCOME READERS OF DR DEMENTO, uh... DAWG

I think the Dawg... needs a good worming.

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