NICB Sees Decline In Metal Thefts

In a new report on metal theft insurance claims, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) found that in 2018, there were 2,887 theft claims compared with the 3,017 claims recorded in 2017—a decrease of 4%. NICB analysts reviewed a total of 5,904 insurance claims for metal thefts occurring from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018—95% of them for copper theft. The top five states for metal theft claims were: New Jersey (570), Pennsylvania (488), Ohio (410), New York (405), and Illinois (333). When ranked by the number of claims per 100,000 in population, the top five states are: Connecticut (13.8), New Jersey (11.6), Rhode Island (10.6), Delaware (9.2), and Maryland (7.3). The top five core-based statistical areas (CBSAs) were: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NYNJ-PA (415), Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (408), Chicago-NapervilleElgin, IL-IN-WI (272), Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD (166) and Cleveland-Elyria, OH (123). A total of 444—or 8%—of metal theft claims were either located outside of a CBSA or did not provide enough information to be included in a CBSA. NICB reminds property owners that just about any place where copper is present is at risk of theft. The best deterrent continues to be vigilance. If there is a vacant home or business in your area, and you see suspicious or unusual activity around the property, call your local law enforcement. If any vehicles are involved, jot down their descriptions and license plates. Also, note the clothing and physical appearance of any person(s). All of this is very helpful to investigators.