A two-day undercover operation to deter rising bicycle and moped thefts on the University of Hawai'i-Manoa campus was hailed by Honolulu police and campus security personnel yesterday even though they could not say how many thieves they actually caught.

Thirteen people were charged for misdemeanor crimes that included untaxed bicycles, criminal property damage and public drinking, but no information was provided on how many of the suspects were charged with theft.

Each of the suspects has an "extensive criminal history," said acting police detective Clem Enoka. Some were students, others simply dressed the part, he said.

The undercover operation targeted areas on the campus and in some surrounding neighborhoods from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, he said. More than 20 officers from both departments were involved. They used "bait bicycles and bait mopeds" outside dorms, classrooms and offices, he said.

"We had a very minimal amount of nibbles on our bait," he said. "It wasn't as successful as we had hoped."

But both departments were happy at their ability to work together, he said.

"We do what we can," Enoka said. "It's a block at a time, a break at a time. To me, I felt really good about it at the end of the day."

It was the first joint operation the two agencies had engaged in, said Neal Sakamoto, chief of security for the Manoa campus.

A threefold rise in bicycle and moped thefts between 2004 and 2006 — from two to three a month to eight to nine a month — triggered the operation, Sakamoto said. In some cases, organized groups drive around in trucks and toss unlocked bikes and mopeds into the back of a truck.

He promised future undercover operations as a way to stop that.

"The students should feel safer and hopefully the criminal element will realize there is increased security on campus," he said.

Student Ryan Greenly, a 26-year-old victim of bicycle theft, said he thought the undercover operation would have a limited effect.

"I don't know, some of those die-hard bike thieves will come back," he said, unlocking his bicycle outside Hamilton Library.

At the same crowded bike rack, Jordan Smith, 19, of Waikiki, unlocked his bicycle and said there's safety in numbers. The solution to the theft problem is a continued presence, he said.

"It would have to be a long-term thing to make a dent in it," he said. "Hopefully it will help."

Rod Antalan, a 20-year-old Kalihi resident who drives to school but rides his bike around campus, didn't know there was a problem with bike thieves. He liked the undercover effort, though.

"I guess you don't think about it until you have something stolen," he said. "I'm sure it will stop for a little while, but when everything blows over, they'll come back."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.