In the two years to December, crime remained stable in most categories, although police are concerned about a 12 per cent rise in shoplifting across the region.The Bureau of Crime Statistics' director, Don Weatherburn, says overall Newcastle had a good result.

"It is a great change and you know if trends continue the way they are then there's every reason to hope for a down trend in non-domestic assault," he said. "Newcastle I'm sure has had more than its fair share of alcohol-related assaults and I'm sure everyone [can] see the trend go down. "It's nice enough to see it stable but we really want to see it go down." Meanwhile, Upper Hunter police say a massive spike in motor vehicle theft has prompted several crackdowns across the region.

The bureau's figures show there was a 91 per cent increase in the offence in Muswellbrook and a 57 per cent rise in Singleton. The Hunter Valley police's acting crime manager, Peter Robertson, says every effort is being made to address the issue.

"Those figures are mainly attributed to a rise in the theft of motorcycles, particularly unregistered trail bikes," he said. "I can indicate over the last 18 months we've put three adults in jail for stealing motorbikes in the area and also had a couple of juveniles convicted of those offences."