As budgets are shaped and cut on the state level, one state law enforcement agency is wondering if it will even have a place in our community once lawmakers are done.

The field office in Alachua covers five North Central Florida counties and often you'll see agents working alongside local law enforcement at major crime scenes.

They investigate mortgage fraud and identity theft cases and they're the agency responsible for keeping checks and balances on local law enforcement.

If their budget is cut 15 percent by the legislature, they could lose their field office in the City of Alachua.

FDLE Special Agent in Charge for the Jacksonville Region says,

"What we gain by having staff in the field is they become part of the community, they understand the community but they also understand the law enforcement issues that are facing the community and they give me that info on a daily basis."

FDLE officials say they are looking for alternative places to put agents such as in police of sheriff's offices, so that the agents will remain in the region.