"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on policing activities in the last financial year, resulting in reductions in crime and public order and road safety offences since March 2020," Tasmania Police said.

Another big factor was a significant drop in crime in the police Northern District, taking in crime capital Launceston and the wider North.

Total offences in the Northern District decreased by 692, from 9896 in 2018-19 to 9204 in the recent financial year.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said: "COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the Tasmanian community and the impact on our reporting outcomes has been significant."

"The pandemic will continue to impact policing activities, with police undertaking compliance checks and airport and sea arrivals for the foreseeable future.

"We will continue to focus on targeting and holding to account the small number of offenders who are recidivist criminals, who create the highest degree of harm for the community."

Offences in the Western District (the North-West and West Coast) edged by by 65, from 5564 to 5629,

There was also a slight increase of 42 in the Southern District, to 12,474, with the statewide total down by 585 to 27,307.

The last three months of the financial year had the lowest offence tallies (1798, 1783 and 1861 respectively).

Offences peaked at 2711 in January.

The June total of 1861 was 362 down from June 2019.

Police had particular success in the Launceston police division, where offences decreased by a state's best 9 per cent, or 705 cases.

Its annual total of 7170 was easily the most of any of the 12 police divisions, as was its offence rate of 1063 per 10,000 residents.

The Hobart division had the next highest number of offences (3433) and offence rate (639 per 10,000 people).

Offences decreased in six divisions and increased in six.

Decreased offences were recorded for:

Kingston had the biggest percentage increase (27.7 per cent), followed by Central West (9.5 per cent).

Central West takes in Central Coast and the West Coast.

Devonport (2.3 per cent), North-East (1.3 per cent), St Helens (3.9 per cent) and South-East (9.3 per cent) also had increases in offences.

Crimes police classify as serious decreased markedly statewide, from 601 to 551.

The biggest drop was in the Southern District (by 36 to 297).

The Western District went from 120 to 109 and the Northern District from 148 to 145.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Higgins said it was heartening the annual Corporate Performance Report showed community satisfaction with Tasmania Police activities remained above the national average (82 per cent compared with 78 per cent).

Other statistics included:

Police said they would continue to focus on tackling crime through: