When it comes to theft of copper and other valuable metals, Connecticut punches above its weight.
In 2017 and 2018, Connecticut had the highest number of metals theft insurance claims of any state, on a per capita basis.
That’s according to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), an industry-backed nonprofit that focuses on insurance fraud and vehicle theft.
Analyzing a claims database owned by the Insurance Services Office, NICB analysts found  244 total metals theft claims stemming from Connecticut in 2017 and 2018.
That was the ninth highest among states, with New Jersey topping the list at 570, but the highest when adjusted for population size.
Nationally, there were 5,904 metals theft claims over those two years, and NICB said there was a 4 percent decline in thefts from 2017 to 2018.
Connecticut also saw a decline in 2018, as theft claims fell from 132 to 112, or 15 percent, according to NICB.
