Friday, June 26, 2009

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is expected to shutter its Key West office today, as state budget cuts are forcing agents to share space at the Florida Highway Patrol office in Marathon.

None of the six employees at the Flagler Avenue office will lose their jobs, said Heather Smith, an agency spokeswoman in Tallahassee.

The move will not affect law enforcement in Monroe County, as agents will work throughout the Florida Keys as before, said Kathy Smith, the local special agent supervisor.

FDLE is the state's primary law enforcement agency that investigates major crimes, including incidents involving other law enforcement agencies.

The Habana Plaza office, at 3124 Flagler Ave., cost the state $156,421 annually in rent, Heather Smith said. FDLE will not pay rent at its new office at 3380 Overseas Highway, she said.

The Key West office is not alone, as 14 of the 15 FDLE field offices across the state will move into shared offices with other law enforcement by July 1, she said.

Only the Daytona Beach office, which houses the crime lab, will remain open, she said. The seven regional operations centers in major cities such as Miami will not be affected by the closures, she said.

The move is expected to save about $1.6 million annually.

"It's not something that's the ideal course for us," Smith said. "But the closure only cuts office overhead and not personnel."

Legislators in fall asked the agency to trim 15 percent of its annual budget.

FDLE agents now can be reached at 305-289-2300 or 800-226-3023.

alinhardt@keysnews.com