The latest report from Crime Statistics Victoria for the year ending March 2021 revealed overall crime dropped in the Warrnambool and Southern Grampian police service areas.

The Warrnambool police service area - covering Warrnambool, Moyne and Corangamite council areas - saw public order, property and deception offences, and drug offences drop between 15 and 20 per cent.

Some crimes against the person increased with sexual assaults jumping by six offences but assaults dropping by four.

Earlier this year The Standard reported nearly one sexual assault per day was being reported to the Warrnambool police Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team.

There were 21 incidents of alleged sexual crime reported in the Warrnambool police service area between March 1 and 24.

The Southern Grampians police service area - servicing Southern Grampians and Glenelg - saw property and deception offences drop by 32 per cent and theft offences falling by 40 per cent.

Drugs and public order offences, which includes weapons and drunken disorderly matters, were also down.

IN OTHER NEWS

The report released on Thursday showed family incidents remained a continuing problem across the south-west with an increase in Warrnambool (up 10 per cent), Southern Grampian (up 12 per cent), Moyne (up 26) and Glenelg (up 11) local government areas.

The number of family violence incidents fell slightly in Corangamite (down five per cent) and Colac-Otway (down four per cent) councils.

The offending occurred across all ages and demographic groups but mainly affected women aged between 25 and 34.

In Warrnambool, the number of affected family members that were female jumped by nearly nine per cent while the number of victims that were male jumped by 16 per cent.

Crime Statistics Agency chief statistician Fiona Dowsley said Victoria had recorded the highest ever number of family incidents and family violence-related criminal offences during the year to March 2021.

"The number of family violence-related victim reports has continued to increase, while other types of victim reports decreased over the past 12 months," she said.

"This increase in family violence-related victimisation has been seen for the last three years, reflecting more than pandemic-related impacts."

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