Although it may not be the most talked about topic on network news, copper theft is on the rise, and its implications for insurers, the public and our government are huge. A new report from the nonprofit organization National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which provides statistics on overall metal theft claims from Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2011, tells the tale. Today’s report identified 25,083 insurance claims compared with only 13,861 identified from the 2006-2008 report—an 81 percent increase.