UC Davis police have a message for thieves: The next backpack or laptop you lift might belong to Investigations Lt. Matthew Carmichael.

Carmichael says that campus police are moving to curb a crime wave in Shields Library and the dining commons, where unattended student possessions have been walking away at a record rate.

Plainclothes officers have begun conducting decoy operations: Youthful officers pose as students who carelessly leave valuables behind while they use the library restroom or eat dinner.

While the "students" are gone, unseen officers are watching the valuables. When a thief strikes, uniformed officers will move in and take them into custody.

Carmichael said the arrests will be made very visibly and will be reported publicly. The decoy program will continue through the academic year.

The criminal penalties for stealing student possessions depend on the value of the stolen objects. Theft of items valued at $400 or less is petty theft, which is a misdemeanor offense and punishable by a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail, or both.

Theft of items valued at more than $400 (such as a laptop computer) is grand theft, which is a felony offense and punishable by one year in county jail or state prison.

UC Davis students convicted of crimes also are referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs, where the range of possible sanctions includes expulsion.

Carmichael said the police department is announcing the decoy operations publicly for two reasons: to discourage students who might be tempted to steal on impulse and to encourage students not to leave their valuables untended.

"It's amazing how often students walk off and leave their laptops in the library -- sometimes for hours, while they go to class," Carmichael said.

He advised students studying in Shields Library to take the trouble to carry backpacks, textbooks and laptops with them whenever they leave their table. Shields also has lockers. They operate on quarters. Ask for their location at the information desk. (Some lockers can be rented for a full academic quarter.)

Students eating in the dining commons, Carmichael said, should put their gear in a locker and lock it, rather than stashing it in an unlocked locker or tossing it on the floor in the lobby.

He added, "The word we want to get out is: Unattended backpacks sitting outside the dining commons may not belong to a student. They may belong to Lt. Carmichael. And if you steal them while he's eating, he'll be happy to give you dessert. What are they serving for dessert at the Yolo County Jail?"