A parliamentary inquiry into assaults on police has been launched, following a spate of alleged incidents in and around the Hunter Region in recent weeks.
The inquiry's terms of reference were released on Thursday, with public submissions also opening.
At least 16 police officers have been allegedly assaulted in 10 incidents between the Central Coast and Tuncurry in the past month.
The alleged assaults have ranged from punching attacks to officers being shot with a pellet gun - some police have escaped serious injuries while others have required hospital treatment.
The terms of reference said the inquiry would report on assaults on members of the NSW Police Force with regard to current incidents and recent trends, strategies being employed by NSW Police to engage with the community and other "related matters".
The five-member cross-party Legislative Assembly Committee on Law and Safety will run the inquiry, chaired by Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman.
Submissions can be lodged on the NSW Parliament website before the portal closes on August 28.
NSW Police Minister David Elliott told the Newcastle Herald last month he was calling for a formal inquiry into attacks on police.
Mr Elliott said on Thursday the inquiry would provide recommendations - "legislative or otherwise" - as to what the government could do to reduce assaults on police.
"There are around 2500 attacks on police officers [across the state] every year - close to 50 a week, or seven-a-day which equates to an officer being attacked somewhere in NSW every four hours," he said.
"We've seen some vile incidents in the Central Coast and Hunter regions over the last few months and I want to get to the bottom of why some people think it's OK to attack the ones who are working to look after us."
Police Association of NSW president Tony King said the inquiry showed that the "unacceptable volume and severity of police assaults" was being taken seriously.
"We need the parliamentary inquiry into assaults on police, announced by the Premier, to be a priority for the NSW government and for our courts to impose sentences that deter these callous offences," Mr King said.
The latest in the spate of incidents came a few days ago, when a female senior constable hit her head after she was pushed to the ground outside Gosford Hospital.
Three days earlier, another female senior constable was left with facial injuries when she was repeatedly punched in the head in the Central Coast suburb of Halekulani.
Officers have allegedly been assaulted in suburbs including Shortland, Maryland and Telarah, among others in the past month.
Police were also threatened by a man with a carving knife in dramatic scenes at Hamilton South.
