COVID-19 restrictions have seen crime drop in the Southern Grampians, according to the latest data released by the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA).

The CSA data released on Thursday revealed criminal incidents in the shire had dropped by 12.1 per cent in the past year.

There were 892 criminal incidents recorded in the Southern Grampians between July 2019 and June 2020, down from 1015 the year before.

Southern Grampians police service area inspector, Terry Hay said while it was pleasing to see the numbers drop, the figures were distorted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data’s reporting period covers the first four months of the pandemic in Victoria.

Two areas where the shire saw big drops were crime against the person, which includes assaults, harassment and threatening behaviour, and drunk and disorderly offences.

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