"I am very pleased that recorded crime showed a decrease in 2010. This result is a tribute to the dedication and hard work by our law enforcement officers," she said.

Kevin Kelly, the force's acting development general manager, said sexual assault and related offending increased by 3.6 per cent in 2010 from the previous year - driven almost entirely by recorded family violence, which may reflect greater reporting.

"We know most cases of sexual offending are not reported, and this remains a concern to police. We urge all victims of sexual offending to report it to police," he said.

STATISTIC BREAKDOWN

* Less than half of all reported crimes were resolved - with the rate dropping slightly from 47.8 per cent in 2009 to 47.5 per cent in 2010.