Senior Constable Tanya Grant, of Balclutha, said there had been more burglaries than usual in the district.
''We don't normally get many burglaries at all around here.''
She was unsure what might have prompted people to resort to the crime.
''Some of the offenders have been picked up for [burglaries] from the last few weeks, but there's not really any link.''
Last week, Snr Const Grant said there had been two burglaries in the district over the past month.
Three burglaries were reported over the past week, two in Balclutha and one at Kaitangata.
Last Friday, offenders pulled the palings from a fence at a property in Ross Pl and removed four solar lights.
The area was not accessible from the road, but was near a walking track at the rear of the properties in the area.
Snr Const Grant said a shovel was found at the scene but the owner of the property did not recognise it.
She believed it may have been taken from a nearby construction site and appealed for people to contact police if they recognised it.
On the same night, Edinburgh Realty in Clyde St was broken into from the rear of the building, in James St.
Drawers had been searched and there was evidence the offenders attempted to force open a filing cabinet, but nothing was taken in the break in.
Some time between August 5 and 10, a garage in Needle St at Kaitangata was entered and offenders got away with two 10-litre pails of undercoat paint, three paint trays, six paint brushes and two 4.25m lengths of weatherboard.
Snr Const Grant also said two vehicles parked in Clyde St outside PGG Wrightson were damaged.
The area had become a common place for people wanting to sell their vehicles.
- Balclutha police (03) 418-0203 or Crimestoppers 0800 555-111.
