LONDON, ONT. -- London will not proceed with measures to curb the theft of catalytic converters.

Late last year, the London Police Service released numbers showing the thefts of the part had doubled in each of the past five years.

In 2020, 204 catalytic converters were reported stolen from the underside of vehicles.

Civic administration consulted with salvage yard operators to determine if measures, including a local registry of purchased catalytic converters, are necessary.

Ultimately, city staff determined a specific regulation for the City of London, would not reduce thefts.

Instead, staff suggest councillors back efforts by the province to reduce gasoline thefts at the pump (drive-offs) and encourage similar provincially based legislation to curb the theft of catalytic converters.