Although the city of Vancouver recorded a relatively low number of homicides in 2010, police are concerned about the deadly potential of simmering gang violence. (CBC)

The Vancouver Police Department has one reason to celebrate 2010 — the city had fewer than half the number of homicides than it had in 2009.

There were nine homicides within Vancouver's city limits, down from 19 killings in the previous year.

Police also were called to fewer reports of gunshots being fired, said spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness.

"There was a really big reduction in 'shots' calls in our city," McGuinness said.

She said the high number of such calls in 2009 was of particular concern for police because many shootings occurred in public places, increasing the possibility of innocent bystanders being injured.

McGuinness acknowledged that the gang shooting Dec. 12 on Oak Street that sent 10 people to hospital could have been deadly and the potential remains for more violence of that kind.

"The reality is that it can still flare up at any time," she said. "We are not going to kid ourselves that there isn't a lot of instability out there in the gang world right now."

With files from the CBC's Emily Elias