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Declining state revenues could cause Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement to ax programs that keep our kids safe. As Whitney Ray tells us, Amber Alerts and sex offender warnings could be a thing of the past if the state’s financial woes continue.

Hear it Here: Drastic Cuts Could Impact Public Safety Programs

When a child is missing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement springs into action. But Amber Alerts could be a thing of the past in Florida.

The Amber Alert program ended up on a list of things FDLE would get rid of if it was forced to cut its budget by 10 percent.

The sex offender registry, where 44,000 people signed up to be notified when a sex offender moves near by, is also on the cut list. FDLE Spokeswoman Heather Smith says after two years of shrinking budgets, there are no safe places to make changes.

“We have already seen some cuts at FDLE and any additional cuts are going to be painful for us,” said Smith.

Bethany Faison has three kids. She says parents rely on the FDLE programs to keep their kids safe from predators.

“I think it’s probably the worst think they could cut actually,” said Bethany.

If FDLE has to make the full 18 million dollars in cuts, Amber Alerts and the Sex Offender registry would have to go. Cuts less than 10 percent would keep them off the chopping block. The programs were last on the cut list of 34 items FDLE submitted to the state.

Statistics show that crime increases when the economy tanks. Florida’s Chief Financial Officer is warning lawmakers that if FDLE was hit too hard by budget cuts, public safety would be at risk.