Police data shows there were 730 reports of crime in Otago and Southland in June, down almost 30% since March when 1029 were recorded, and the lowest level since police introduced a new method of recording crime statistics four years ago.
These figures cover crime which has a victim, and exclude those with no direct victim, such as illicit drug possession.
The number of reported victims of crime fell in all three policing areas of the Southern district (Southland, Otago Coastal and Otago Lakes Central), but was most pronounced in Otago Coastal, where reports dropped by more than a third between March and June.
While this trend is reflected nationally, it was less dramatic - there was a 6% drop nationwide between March and June.
The most common type of crime this year in the Southern district was theft and related offences (2266) followed by burglary and break-ins (1422).
They were followed by acts intended to cause injury (1327), sexual assault and related offences (244) robbery or extortion (41) and abduction or harassment (7).
In more good news for Otago and Southland cops, the district's resolution rate was the best in the country this year.
Of all investigations launched by police to the end of May, 17.4% resulted in court action after 30 days, and a further 3.4% yielded non-court action such as warnings, giving a total resolution rate of nearly 21%.
That compared favourably to the national resolution rate of 13.9% over the same period, and was nearly double Canterbury police's effort of 11.5%.
However, resolution rates for some crime types remain markedly low in the South.
Just 10% of reports of sexual assault and related offences in the Southern District this year yielded court action after 30 days, and 14.5% after 90 days, on par with national figures.
Only about one-in-10 burglaries south of the Waitaki resulted in action against an offender.
Area commander Otago Coastal Inspector Matenga Gray said the recent reduction in crime reports was the largely the result of police's ''Prevention First'' operating model.
''Through our Prevention First model we look to take every opportunity to prevent harm and the data ... reflects we are tracking in the right direction.''
Dunedin barrister Anne Stevens said she had not noticed a drop in alleged offenders passing though court, but believed police's focus on prevention may be behind the drop in reports.
''There's a lot more proactive policing to prevent crime now, rather than just waiting at the bottom of the cliff.''
Ms Stevens added it was now more difficult to get away with offending than in the past, especially property crime, given the proliferation of sophisticated security systems in commercial buildings, homes and cars.
