THE remote north-western NSW town of Bourke has topped the state in six of the eight major crime categories in the past 12 months, prompting a call for a ''full-hearted attack'' to fix drug and alcohol problems in the town.

The latest crime figures, compiled and ranked by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research on local government areas, show the town of 3000 has the highest assault rate in the state, along with break-ins and car thefts.

When compared with United Nations data, the crime rate of the Darling River town makes it more dangerous per capita than any country in the world.

The bureau's director, Don Weatherburn, said the crime problem in Bourke, as well as in other regional areas with a high Aboriginal population such as Moree Plains and Cobar, was the forgotten law and order issue in the state.