Nearly 100 people were arrested for shoplifting last weekend at three Target stores in Sacramento County during a retail theft operation that recovered more than $8,000 in stolen merchandise.

Of the 96 individuals arrested, 10 were booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said in a March 12 social media post.

In California, after passage of Proposition 47 in 2015, theft below $950 per occurrence is cited as a misdemeanor, , with more than 75 percent of those charged never showing up to court, according to Greg Totten, CEO for the California District Attorneys Association.

Among those arrested, two female suspects used an empty baby carrier with a blanket to disguise stolen items , authorities said. Suspects ranged in age from 11 to 62. Despite a marked sheriff’s patrol vehicle parked in front of one of the stores’ exit doors, suspects were still busted in two separate incidents at that particular store, they said.

“We’re at a tipping point,” Mr. Totten said. “When Californians walk into basic retail outlets and they see products locked up, when they see inventory reduced, store hours reduced, stores in their neighborhoods closing, they have recognized that this is a problem that must be corrected.”  in an interview last month.

As homelessness and retail theft have surged in recent years, some are pushing for a tougher response to crime.

Reformers are gathering signatures for one such ballot initiative—the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act, spearheaded by Mr. Totten, which would increase penalties for repeat offenders of theft and certain drug crimes. Thus far, the initiative has been signed by 536,000 Californians with 545,000 verified signatures needed by April 26 to qualify for the Nov. 5 ballot.

Of the dozens of people arrested, only 10 were booked into jail. (Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office)

Suspects ranged in age from 11 to 62. (Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office)