Federal crime reports are clear: The Rio Grande Valley — in fact, most of the U.S.-Mexico border — is one of the safest places to live in the United States. In fact, the latest FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2021 shows that the Valley’s crime rate continues to drop.
Unfortunately, many people surely think differently after hearing false rhetoric spewed by politicians who try to win votes by trying to appeal to xenophobes and nationalists, mostly among conservatives.
And that includes several local officials political and candidates who themselves enjoy the benefits of the region’s low crime levels, and who defame their neighbors by suggesting that people here live at the mercy of lawless illegal immigrants and violent Mexican drug cartels.
That simply isn’t the case, and to knowingly declare otherwise just to win a few votes could cause some people to question the integrity of such people, and worry about their honesty if the are elected.
For example, it’s a great disservice to celebrate these reports when they come out, despite having played host to national conservative officials and social media personalities who came to the border specifically to bray about border lawlessness and the need to continue building a wall along the riverbank.
The FBI report shows that McAllen has the lowest crime rate among all of Texas’ larger cities. It’s the lowest level in 37 years, and police Chief Victor Rodriguez says it continues a 13-year trend of declining crime.
Brownsville ranked 16th lowest on the list.
Certainly, the Valley is not crime free — no place is. However, levels here fortunately are low, and most crimes are property crimes such as burglary and theft. Some of the largest cities in the country — and in the state — likely endure more violent crime in one day than Valley cities see in an entire year.
Our low crime rates are worth bragging about. Suggesting otherwise fails to give credit to the many law-enforcement officials, at all levels, who dedicate — and risk — their lives to help ensure the safety of our communities. It also is an offense against the Valley residents who respect our laws, and their neighbors.
Moreover, promoting inaccurate portrayals about the Valley causes untold damage to the region. Business owners, investors and high-skilled workers might choose to avoid coming to this area if they believe they might not be safe here.
There’s no way of knowing how much economic development our region has lost because of such mischaracterizations. A region that has some of the nation’s highest levels of poverty and unemployment can ill afford such errant descriptions, and people should question whether we an afford to support politicians who would promote such inaccuracies for their own personal gain.
The Rio GrandeValley has many positive features that should attract visitors, residents and businesses, and they’re worth bragging about. There is no valid reason to scare people away with false suggestions regarding border crime, or to tolerate anyone who would do so.
