Hi, Cliff, I live here with my family since 5 years now and we never had any kind of trouble.
The drug scene in the mexican state of Jalisco is controlled by one group only and everything is calm. From time to time smaller gangs try to overtake parts of the market, but they are rejected very fast.
The mexican government is working hard to prevent the travel destinations from problems. 2 years ago the drug war reached Puerto Vallarta, but the militar resolved the problems very fast.
Crime in Puerto Vallarta is generally very low, there is just one known case of a murder of a foreigner during the last 30 years. This was a case when a thief was surprised by the owner of an department.
Things like that happen all over the world, even in Germany, where I was born.
The real problem here for tourists are the timesharing sharks. Once here You will be invited many times to free tours or a free stay in a resort, if You accept to participate on an informational meeting. There US and Canadian nationals receive You and try with any kind of trick to move You to firm a timesharing contract.
Just don´t accept these free offers and everything is ok. If You want to book tours You find all info at Your hoteldesk.
For any further question, just ask !