Cleo Smith found: Inside the WA Police Taskforce Rodia operations room

WA Police have given a first glimpse inside the room which became the centre of the hunt for Cleo Smith.

As detectives from Taskforce Rodia debriefed on Thursday morning following their extraordinary rescue of the four-year-old, Premier Mark McGowan arrived in Carnarvon to pay his personal thanks.

Carrying two teddy bears — intended as gifts for Cleo and her little sister — Mr McGowan first stopped at Carnarvon Police Station, where dozens of officers have been based for weeks.

And it was in the operations room — crammed with files, photos, and computers — that Mr McGowan got a feel for the scale of the investigation.

There were so many officers in Carnarvon some of them had to be placed in a large van at the back of the police complex.

And The West Australian understands the prospect of a lengthy investigation meant WA Police were on the brink of leasing larger premises for the task force longer-term.

Such was the determination to throw everything at the search for Cleo, two floors of a government building had been inspected by senior police.

A delivery of furniture from Perth was due to arrive on Thursday.

Now, it won’t be needed, as the unprecedented hunt for the little girl shifts from active operation to considered preparation for a potential court case to come.