The crime statistics for last year also showed increases in drug and sex offences.

But there were also sharp drops in property and deception offences as the state's two lockdowns kept people off the streets.

The Crime Statistics Agency's figures for 2020, released on Thursday, featured 37,505 breaches of the chief health officer's warnings.

Those COVID-19 offences made up seven per cent of the 548,354 total recorded offences for the year.

Take away the COVID-19 offences and total offences dropped 6.2 per cent.

But the agency said family violence statistics such as monthly averages were "worse than forecasted", with family incidents increasing 9.4 per cent.

Acting Police Minister Danny Pearson and Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Rick Nugent said it would have been worse without Operation Ribbon.

The police initiative was launched in April, anticipating the added family stresses that the pandemic would cause.

"I'm deeply saddened that so many in our community experience that (family violence)," Mr Pearson said.

"But ... if it wasn't for Operation Ribbon, how much worse would it have been."

Mr Nugent said with people restricted to their homes during the lockdowns, they might not have access to support.

"As a result we were very, very proactive with Operation Ribbon and other policing activities to ensure we did all we could to keep them safe - and as a result, we did see increases in family violence orders," he said.

Overall, recorded offences increased 2.3 per cent.

In January, Victoria Police revealed only 10 per cent of the COVID-19 fines had been paid and Mr Pearson said the government would continue to chase offenders.

"The expectation would be that those fines would be collected ... the government's got a range of options available to it in relation to the collection," he said.

Most of the public health order breaches were from April to October, a period dominated by two lockdowns in Victoria.

Drug offences were also up 20 per cent last year and there was a 10.2 per cent rise in sex offences.

But property and deception offences fell 12.1 per cent and robberies declined 28.7 per cent.

The COVID fines proved controversial, with accusations of heavy-handed and inconsistent policing, but Acting Premier James Merlino backed the force.

"They use their judgment in terms of whether they issue fines or whether they provide a warning to citizens if they're doing the wrong thing. I completely back Victoria Police," he said.

Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said the overall 2.3 per cent increase was "extraordinary".

"You would have thought that in the year 2020, when Victorians were largely locked down, that crime would have fallen," he said.

"It just shows you that the government doesn't have a plan in place to try and keep Victorians safe.

"We have sadly now seen a really significant increase in family violence. Where is the government's support to try and reduce that going forward?"

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Australian Associated Press