Eagle-eyed CCTV monitoring staff in Teignbridge have been responsible for securing more than 500 arrests and the recovery of nearly £40k of goods in the district in the the past year.
The team, based in Newton Abbot, has exceeded expectations and shattered the council-set targets for 400 arrests and £18,000 in recovered goods.
Throughout the year the staff have helped resolve a range of incidents and have directly prevented crime which could have cost members of the public hundreds of thousands of pounds.
It has also provided numerous evidence packages for use in court by the Police and Crown Prosecution Service.
The team has also provided assistance to police officers from outside the Teignbridge patch.
Most importantly, CCTV has helped to resolve many cases from locating missing persons and vehicles, to helping with burglary, deception and drug related incidents.
The CCTV system is designed to monitor nearly 50 locations across the district.
The scheme works in partnership with the police and local business members of the Newton Abbot Business Security Group (NABS).
Operations and support inspector Ian Curson, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: 'The Teignbridge CCTV system is a highly successful operation which is achieving some excellent results with a minimal budget and staffing levels.
'The arrests and recovery of goods is down to the enthusiasm and expertise of the CCTV operators who have good knowledge of active criminals and their behaviour.'
Cllr Marie Jenkins, Teignbridge executive spokesman for communities and regulation said: 'We work hard to keep crime down in Teignbridge and our dedicated CCTV team work extremely hard to ensure that the area stays safe and that any potential issues are dealt with swiftly.'