The crime rate in Alpine Shire in the 12 months ending March this year is more than five per cent up on the previous year, but still remains one of the lowest in the state.

Data released by the Crime Statistics Agency last week says there were 346 criminal incidents in Alpine Shire, compared to 329 the previous 12 months.

While the crime rate was the highest since 2023, it was still less than half the state average and was the fifth lowest in all 79 Local Government Areas in Victoria, behind Queenscliffe, Golden Plains, Surf Coast and Indigo Shire.

Among Alpine Shire communities, Myrtleford recorded the highest number of offences with 112, but this was down on the 141 incidents the previous year.

Other major towns recorded a rise in incidents with Bright having 92 (up from 70), Mt Beauty 32 (up from 22), Porepunkah 25 (up from 16) and Tawonga South 12 (up from 2).

The most common incidents were criminal damage (39) and theft (39) which were both up on the previous year, followed by breaches of family violence orders at 32 (down from 38), theft from a motor vehicle at 27 (up from 16) and serious assaults at 19 (up from 5).

Police laid charges in 35.5 per cent of incidents and no charges in 19.9 per cent of incidents, while 44.5 per cent of incidents remain unsolved.

The total number of offences committed in all criminal incidents was 487, which is a 12.5 per cent rise on the previous 12 months' total of 433.

Myrtleford had 172 offences (down from 180 the previous 12 months), Bright 117 (up from 83), Porepunkah 40 (up from 27), Mt Beauty 37 (up from 32) and Mudgegonga 25 (up from 1).

All main offences rose from the previous 12 months, with 75 breaches of family violence orders (up from 67), 52 thefts (up from 33), 49 criminal damage offences (up from 45), 32 thefts from motor vehicles (up from 18) and 26 serious assaults (up from 5).

Arrests were made and summons were issued for 46.6 per cent of the total offences.

The total number of offender incidents was 151, which was a slight decrease on 158 the previous year.

There were 128 male and 23 female offenders, with people aged 45 years and above the most common offenders totalling 50, ahead of 27 offenders aged 35-39, 20 offenders aged 18-24, 18 offenders aged 40-44, 17 offenders aged 30-34, 12 offenders aged 25-29 and six offenders aged 12-17.

There were 261 victims of crime, which was a 17 per cent rise on 223 victims last year.

There were 70 victims of theft, 54 victims of assault and related offences, 31 victims of property damage, 15 victims of sexual assault and 14 victims of deception.

Family violence incidents totaled 135, which was a 14.6 per cent drop on the 158 incidents in the previous year and still almost a third less than the state average.