AN EXTRA 141 sexual offences were recorded by police in the Greater Bendigo area in 2018, newly released figures show.

Last year's 502 reports were the latest in four consecutive rises from the 276 offences recorded in 2015, according to the Crime Statistics Agency.

People needed to exercise caution when looking at the results, being careful to consider whether assaults were increasing or whether people were becoming more confident about reporting, Loddon Campaspe Centre Against Sexual Assault chief executive Kate Wright said.

"I would say that until we have more information and every single sexual offence is reported we won't know for sure," she said.

What was clear was that increased confidence in quality responses from Victoria Police and the broader support system was playing a role, Ms Wright said.

People were becoming more confident about reporting sexual offences as community awareness rose and tolerance for inappropriate acts dropped, she said.

"Underpinning all of that is a metamessage that people need to hear: 'when you report sexual violence you will be believed'," Ms Wright said.

She said an increase in family related matters reported to police raised a question about what more could be done to help people deal with sexual, physical, emotional abuse or neglect.

"After seeing a lot of work in relation to sexual assault that has occurred at the hands of institutions, clubs and organisations, maybe now what we need to do is look at incidents in a familial setting," Ms Wright said.

She urged more education and parenting programs be put in place.

Update

An increase in family related incidents is most likely a result of increased confidence in reporting, a top cop says.

The 5.7 per cent increase across the state was revealed in Crime Statistics Agency data released today.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton pointed to the work of work of police family violence units across the state and an effort to enhance officers' skills.

"It's also (victim's) knowledge that police are acting when people breach intervention orders and the like," Deputy Commissioner Patton said.

The Greater Bendigo region was one of a number across central Victoria to see a general rise in offences.

Its crime levels compared favourably with some local government areas in the region.

There were 9127.7 crimes per 100,000 in Greater Bendigo, compared with 10,153.1 in Campaspe and 9874.9 in the Central Goldfields.

Crime rates were lower in Mount Alexander, where there were 4552.1 offences per 100,000 people. Macedon Ranges had 4698.9.

Statewide, there had been a "slight" 1.7 per cent increase in the total number of crimes Deputy Commissioner Patton said.

"I'm not surprised to see these increases, though," he said, noting that more police were on the beat detecting crimes.

"That's what we see in these figures. More detecting crime, more proactive checking, more arrests and more offenders being taken into custody."

Deputy Commissioner Patton expected the trend to continue as Victoria police deployed the last of 3135 extra officers over coming years.

He said police were also cracking down on managing offenders and recent legislative reforms.

Earlier

THE NUMBER of crimes recorded in Greater Bendigo rose in 2018.

New data on the year to 31 December 2018 shows there were 10,566 offences recorded by the Crime Statistics Agency, up from 9722 but not as high as 2016's 10,854.

There were 5054 property and deception offences, up from 4889, while crimes against the person had risen to 1918 from 1538.

Drug offences rose from 481 to 525.

The Campaspe, Macedon Ranges, Bulloke and Loddon shires also recorded increases in offences.

The Central Goldfields and Mount Alexander shires recorded drops compared with 2017.

Statewide, there was a two per cent increase in the number of criminal incidents recorded by Victoria Police.

More to come.

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