Their distress comes as figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research showed there had been three murders committed in Bathurst last year.

The Ashfield, Cowra, Marrickville and Sydney local government areas also recorded three murders for the year, while Fairfield recorded five murders.

Chifley local area command Inspector Chris Davey said any murder in Bathurst was extremely disappointing, let alone three in one year.

"As far as what's occurred, any murder is bad and to have three is disappointing," Insp Davey said.

On May 9, 2008, 37-year-old Julie Anne Dawson was stabbed to death in her Miriyan Drive home in Kelso and Michael John Faulkner was charged with her murder.

George Asprogiannis, 26, was murdered at a dwelling in Bannerman Crescent, Kelso on August 10. Ronnie Phillip Charles Lovett has been charged with the stabbing death.

The third murder was of 45-year-old Orange woman Leeanne Mintern, whose body was found August 14 in a shallow grave on a Gowan Road property near Lewis Ponds. Excavator Stephen Lawrence Bennett, 47, from Orange, was charged.

Despite the third murder involving Orange victims and police, the body was found on the outskirts of the Bathurst local government area.

The figures revealed the number of various other criminal incidents which occurred last year.

The category with the highest number of offences in Bathurst was malicious damage to property, with 832 incidents.

Insp Davey said he was not surprised that other categories with high incidents were stealing from motor vehicles and assaults.

"These are areas we are already concentrating on and endeavouring to reduce. All of our strategies are focused towards this," Insp Davey said.

"We also rely on any witnesses to report these crimes."

The figures also found there were 39 sexual assaults recorded in Bathurst in 2008 - 1.7 times the state average - and 55 indecent assaults, acts of indecency and other sexual offences.

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Number of recorded criminal incidents for major offences in 2008 in local government areas:

Bathurst Regional

3 murders, 214 assault (domestic violence related), 288 assault (non-domestic violence related), 39 sexual assault, 55 indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences, 13 robbery without a weapon, 288 break and enter (dwelling), 101 motor vehicle theft, 297 steal from motor vehicle, 98 steal from retail store, 170 steal from dwelling, 832 malicious damage to property.

Dubbo

1 murder, 286 assault (domestic violence related), 416 assault (non-domestic violence related), 36 sexual assault, 72 indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences, 13 robbery without a weapon, 371 break and enter (dwelling), 177 motor vehicle theft, 451 steal from motor vehicle, 187 steal from retail store, 260 steal from dwelling, 1,103 malicious damage to property.

Orange

2 murders, 172 assault (domestic violence related), 337 assault (non-domestic violence related), 53 sexual assault, 52 indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences, 15 robbery without a weapon, 555 break and enter (dwelling), 187 motor vehicle theft, 617 steal from motor vehicle, 179 steal from retail store, 182 steal from dwelling, 993 malicious damage to property.