Rio Grande Gaurdian
By Steve Taylor
MCALLEN, Texas – McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos stressed how safe McAllen was when giving the opening remarks at a recent conference in his city.
The 26th Annual TATOA Conference & Awards Ceremony was held at the McAllen Convention Center. TATOA stands for Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.
The media teams of the City of McAllen and Hidalgo County won awards at the conference.
“We were the seventh safest city in the country last year. This year we are the sixth safest city in the United States. That is something we are very proud of,” Villalobos told the audience. The audience applauded.
“And it gets better. When it comes to violent crime, we are the second safest in the state of Texas.”
Villalobos said he felt “compelled to talk about it” because “what you see in the media is not necessarily what is going on. This is a very safe place.”
Villalobos said he hoped those attending the conference have a great time in McAllen. “We have great restaurants. We have one of the best malls in the country, one of the highest grossing malls in the country.” And he urged them to tell their friends and family how safe McAllen is when they go home.
After his remarks, Villalobos gave an exclusive video interview to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service. Villalobos said he felt compelled to talk about the safety of McAllen because of all the negative press his city and the rest of the Rio Grande Valley gets at the national level.