Cr Dickerson said he received "anecdotal reports about the courts being lenient" but had not been able to find "the cold hard data about sentencing".

He spoke about the issue of sentencing after Orana Regional Law Society spokesman and principal legal officer with the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT in the western region Stephen Lawrence sought to tackle any public perceptions that courts in the region were "soft on crime".

In April Cr Dickerson, Dubbo MP Troy Grant and Orana region police Superintendent David Simmons launched a community crime initiative that aimed to drive down theft from motor vehicle offences in Dubbo.

Yesterday Cr Dickerson said the campaign had given him some insight into offenders.

"As we went through the process... there was no doubt in my mind there is a level of confidence among perpetrators that they would take risks knowing they won't end up in jail," he said.

" I think the increase in crime statistics are largely apportioned to the criminals believing they're going to be dealt with in a more lenient fashion."

The mayor said he had made several inquiries to try to obtain the "cold, hard data about sentencing", including to the state's attorney-general.

Cr Dickerson contested the data would "put us in position to be able to make comments about whether the courts are lenient or not".

He said he had previously had a meeting with the current magistrate to talk about a number of matters, one of which was sentencing.

When asked about the separation of the three arms of government - the legislature, the executive and the judiciary - from each other, Cr Dickerson said he understood that was the process.

He said politicians should not try to intervene in individual cases because that was where there could be the potential for corruption.

But he said he didn't have any problem with politicians making commentary on the data as a whole.

Mr Lawrence said on Monday it was not true that courts in the region were lenient.

"The public need to be made aware that the courts are expected to impose sentences in accordance with the laws determined by the Parliament and they must be allowed to do this independently of political interference," he said.