Barrie police is sticking to its guns when it comes to not naming suspects charged with a criminal offence.

Earlier this month, South Simcoe Police Chief Andrew Fletcher decided to abandon a long-standing policy of not naming people who have been charged in Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury, leaving Barrie police the only service in the area that doesn’t release names.

“It’s not something that Barrie police is considering doing in the near future,” spokesperson Peter Leon said.

Leon said Barrie police will at times name suspects in ongoing investigations if it’s a matter of public safety.

The Ontario Provincial Police, which services the rest of Simcoe County, names most suspects charged with a crime within its jurisdictions, which include Orillia, Midland and Collingwood.

Other smaller police services also release names, including Orangeville Police.

Fletcher told Simcoe.com that naming someone after they have been charged can act as a deterrent to crime.

“Maybe, up until now, people in this community felt it was nameless, faceless,” Fletcher said. “If this prevents one person from committing crime because they're afraid of their neighbours knowing, their employers knowing, or others knowing, then I think it is a good thing.”

Names will be included in media releases “as long as it’s not going to jeopardize an investigation or identify a victim,” he said.

Reaction to South Simcoe’s decision to release names has been swift on social media, with the vast majority saying names should only be published when a person is found guilty in court to ensure their reputations aren’t damaged if they are innocent.