In 1945, the police station was situated at 83 High Street. In 1953, the station was moved to Linton House on Bridge Street and was opened by the chief constable and the provost. The new station building was adapted to provide a charge room, a detention room and two police houses for the families of the two constables who manned the station (one of the last being David Love). They worked various shifts and covered the East Linton beat from Whitekirk in the east across to East Fortune on the west, then south to Papple and east to Stenton. It was a fairly large rural beat covering many farms, which meant that a lot of the officers’ time was involved with the renewal of shotgun and firearms certificates, the ‘Movement of Animal’ licences and the annual sheep dipping. Their mode of transport in the early years was by motorcycle and latterly by mini van.
The station was under the control of Dunbar and was visited by the inspector from there once a week to check records and duty sheets. It was equipped with a cell, which was mainly used for those who were intoxicated by alcohol ie drunk! The area had a low crime rate, the main continuing crime being that of poaching for sea trout in the Tyne. Housebreaking figures were low but burglary did happen from time to time; it was usually committed by a local, as opposed to the travelling, criminal, although this pattern was to change in the late 1980s.
In 1972, the police station was closed and the area was covered by officers from Dunbar. The building continued to be used by officers when in the area, while the two houses owned by
the Police Authority were occupied until 1977 when all the property was sold. The crime rate remains relatively low but minor acts of malicious mischief and vandalism are a continuing source of annoyance to the residents.
Within the period, there have been a number of road accidents requiring police attention, many on the A1 that proved fatal. The worst within the East Linton beat was during the 1980s when a mini van being driven on the A1 at the ‘Watering Stone’ (the stone depot east of the Swap Road junction) collided with a tanker lorry causing the death of three Dunbar youths.
In the late 1980s, an area constable was appointed with responsibility for the East Linton beat when on duty, and liaison with the community council.