The crime rate in one state has fallen by almost four per cent in the past year, with police praising controversial "adult crime, adult time" laws as being responsible for a major drop in youth offending.
Victoria's crime rate, which accounts for population growth, fell to 8679.6 offences per 100,000 people, according to Victoria's Crime Statistics Agency figures released on Thursday.
Overall, the state recorded 624,624 criminal offences in the 12 months to June, a reduction of 13,360 offences compared with the previous financial year.
Youth offending decreased by 8.1 per cent in that time, but police maintain child offenders aged 10-17 continue to be over-represented in major violent crimes such as home invasions, aggravated burglaries and robberies.
Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said child unique offenders have steadily decreased but it was the first time the force had seen repeat offenders in the age group fall.
"We've seen a reduction in these hard-core child offences," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
The figures represented a period of stabilisation following sustained increases, but warned crime levels remained "unacceptably high" and above historical norms, the deputy commissioner said.
Serious and violent crime fell 4.1 per cent, including significant reductions in robbery, down 22.9 per cent; residential aggravated burglary was down 27 per cent; carjackings and attempted carjackings declined 25.4 per cent; and overall burglary fell 19.9 per cent.
Police attributed some of the reductions to increased visible and proactive policing.
The force made a record 77,175 arrests involving 27,092 people during the reporting period.
But other areas of offending continued to rise.
Drug offenders apprehended increased 11.6 per cent, while the number of offenders processed for drug trafficking and dealing rose 18.5 per cent.
Police also recorded a 2.7 per cent increase in retail theft, with 43,124 offences recorded.
Breaches of orders remained the state's largest contributor to recorded crime, with 87,257 offences accounting for 14 per cent of all crime.
That category, which includes breaches of intervention orders and bail conditions, increased four per cent.
Theft from motor vehicles, the second-largest category, fell 10.4 per cent, while motor vehicle theft declined 5.2 per cent.
Family violence-related incidents fell 3.4 per cent overall.
But some serious categories increased, with family violence-related assaults rising 1.6 per cent and family violence-related serious assaults increasing 15.8 per cent.
Police attributed a spike in serious family violence assaults to the new offence of suffocation, choking or strangulation.
Offenders aged between 30 and 34 were the most prominent age group charged with offences, connected mostly to family violence.
The deputy commissioner said the reduction in serious and violent crime was encouraging, but added: "Our work is far from over."
"While it is pleasing to see overall crime figures stabilising, and many categories seeing reductions, general levels remain elevated," he said.
