Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells said the most commonly stolen items in Canterbury that appear on websites, such as Trade Me and Facebook Marketplace, and in pawn shops are those that are unsecured outside houses or in sheds like tools and sprinklers.
He said the outdoor items may have been targeted because it has become harder for burglars to access the inside of houses while people are at home during the lockdown.
The items are targeted at all hours of the day.
Wells said police have noticed an increase in the number of stolen items recovered from pawn shops since level 2 came into effect.
He believes the people who stole the items may have done so during the lockdown and waited for stores to reopen to sell them.
"Pawnshops generally haven't been open to be able to receive any items of any interest from anybody."
He said the sale of stolen goods online happened throughout level 4 and 3 but it is happening more at level 2 now that selling and picking up items has become easier.
"Your online stuff has probably been still going on, although I would suggest while it's been in lockdown, the ability for people to travel from A to B to actually go and uplift that has been reduced significantly as well," said Wells.
He said two police teams are being formed to help solve burglaries and vehicle thefts. One of the teams' roles is finding and recover items being sold online and in stores.
Wells said people should make sure any items in outside areas are secured to the ground or locked away in sheds.
He urged people to stay in touch with their neighbours so they can watch out for any suspicious activity and report it to police.
