“Anyone answering a Backpage or other similar ad that says to meet in Coon Rapids, don’t do it. You will be arrested no matter who you are,” Coon Rapids Police Chief Brad Wise said.

Albert Einstein fairly smart man, I prefer this quote from Einstein.........

[In the Universe it may be that] Primitive life is very common and intelligent life is fairly rare. Some would say it has yet to occur on Earth.”

What else would you expect them to say?

Not really my point.  LE all over the country use BP as a tool for sting operations.  

Le uses every data base we do, thats why research and following your gut is so important.

If you are going to eliminate sites that LE uses to try and arrest people, then you eliminate them all.  Do they use BP more?  Of course.  It's where the biggest concentration of ads, providers, and hobbyists are.  It's also the easiest place to use because it's the site where the low hanging fruit (the people easiest to catch) are most likely to hang out.  It's a resource to use and a starting point, not the only source for info.

........It is the primary resource for ads even by "well reviewed" traveling providers.  Some fine TER reviewed providers have been through my area recently and if you look at their reviews, the reviewers mention seeing the ads on BP.  Outside metro areas all over the country, TER is not hobby central and BP is used extensively.

I think the bad rap given to advertisers on B P  is mostly undeserved .I see verified A.S.P and also fresh off the bus advertised side by side .sometimes things are not always as they seem . just an observation .