A total of 44 cases were reported over the 12 months in the Hilltops local government area (LGA) according to the latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) data.

It is a 110 per cent increase on the 21 offences recorded in 2016. There were a further 33 cases of indecent assault or acts of indecency during 2017.

“Sexual assault offences in Hilltops remain above the NSW rate and I encourage the community to continue working with our local police in reporting crimes to help them drive this down,” Ms Cooke said.

Overall, the latest data showed crime categories for Hilltops remained stable and Ms Cooke said that was a good result.

“This stability reflects the tireless efforts of local police and the cooperation of the community,” the MP said.

“Community safety is of paramount importance, so it’s reassuring to see crime rates in our local communities either stable or falling.

“While we’ve seen steady rates for the past two years, we still have work to do. Our frontline police officers work day-in, day-out fighting and preventing crime, but they can’t do it alone.”

While the trends remained stable, there was some individual categories that saw increases and decreases.

Fraud increased within Hilltops, with 88 cases last year, 28 more than the previous 12 months.

There was better news when it came to vandalism within the LGA.

For the second year in a row the rate of malicious damage to property has remained low, with 225 cases reported in 2017.

It is less than half of the 466 incidents recorded in 2012, and the best result in the last 10 years.

Young has moved to the Hume Police District and Ms Cooke said she expects that to bring even better results.

“This new policing model targets the needs of smaller country communities, and I hope to see its impact reflected in falling crime rates as we move forward,” she said.