A police base in Dawlish is finally up and running.
An office at Dawlish Community Hospital is being used by five officers as Insp Andy Wagon, head of Dawlish and Teignmouth Police, begins to impose a tighter grip on the town's problems.
It is not a police station as such – the public can not call but still have to visit teignmouth Police station – but it is a step in the right direction, he stressed.
The base has been in the offing for some months after Insp Wagon himself mooted the idea.
It is in a small room at the hospital and will be given an official opening at some time.
Having a base in Dawlish 'enables us to get close to a situation where we have someone on duty all the time,' said Insp Wagon.
'It will mean that officers can spend more time in Dawlish because they will be starting and finishing duty there.
'It will operate continually as far as possible, seven days a week.'
Insp Wagon said: 'I have been very aware of the concerns in Dawlish about policing and while we would hope that we could get a proper police station back for the town, I think we are quite a long way from that situation yet.'
News of the police base coming on line has been well received in the town, particularly from traders who have been pressing for a permanent police presence since the station closed some years ago.
One, who preferred not to be named, said: 'We have needed the police to be visible in the town for a long time.
'A friend of mine was broken into twice within a relatively short space of time and that more or less did his business in.
'It is extremely good news to hear that the base is now operating and we hope that it will have the desired effect.
'To see a couple of officers actually out on the beat is terrific.'
A visible police presence may well go a long way, not only to easing crime in the town, but more specifically, for example, to cracking down on the town's drugs and drinks problems.
it is known that the town has a drugs problem, and it was only last week that Costcutter owner Bob Harding was offering a £200 reward to anyone who would shop an adult buying alcohol for under-aged drinkers.
The reward would be paid on conviction.