More than 1000 people received pre-charge warnings in the Southern police district during the past financial year.
Figures released to the Otago Daily Times show 1069 warnings were issued in Otago and Southland in 2011-12.
These include 332 for disorderly behaviour, 97 for breach of liquor ban, 101 for shoplifting, and 70 for fighting in public. In the 2011-12 financial year, police issued 21,866 pre-charge warnings nationally, which reduced the number of new charges to the district courts by 12%.
Nationally, 26% of the warnings were for disorderly behaviour and 24% for breach of a liquor ban, compared with 31% and 9% respectively in the Southern district.
Police Minister Anne Tolley said the pre-charge warnings were saving thousands of hours of police time each year, which were being reinvested into front-line crime prevention.
Pre-charge warnings were introduced in September 2010 for low-level offences, allowing officers to arrest and process a person, but issue the offender with a warning if deemed appropriate.
Mrs Tolley said nearly 80% of those who received pre-charge warnings were not arrested for a subsequent offence within six months.