CRIME across the Southern Grampians decreased by 8.6 per cent in the year ending December 31, 2021, with the number of criminal incidents decreasing from 829 to 758, according to the Crime Statistics Agency.

The statistics released on Thursday revealed the criminal incident rate for the Southern Grampians Shire over the 12-month period was 4725.1 per 100,000 population, which was lower than the Victorian rate of 5232.4.