A lawsuit brought against the city of Chicago has caused a fiery debate, but that problem isn’t likely to trickle down to DeKalb.

The lawsuit, brought by a man claiming to have been handcuffed in a police station interview room for nearly five days, has triggered a debate that has pitted the city against police and prosecutors. Chicago officials want to create a rule mandating that suspects cannot be held for more than 48 hours without being charged.

But DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said problems like holding people for more than 48 hours are not likely to occur in this county.

Scott said the majority of cases handled by his department involve instances where the charges have been brought against the suspect prior to being taken into custody. If charges have not already been filed, then suspects are charged as soon as they can appear in front of a judge. These two situations account for more than 90 percent of the cases, Scott said.

Scott explained that law enforcement often holds suspects while detectives collect sufficient evidence to satisfy a warrant, but safety and security also play a role. If there is the possibility that there are additional people involved, officers need to protect the investigation against information leaks.

The suspect’s safety also is kept in mind when detaining a subject, Scott said. The suspect may be held at a police department to prevent negative consequences of others finding out the identity of the subject.

Because of the community’s size, Scott said local departments would not be forced to use a 48-hour rule often. He said his department has held suspects on a rare occasion, but he could not recall any instance where a subject was held for more than 48 hours without appearing in court.

“I would suspect it shouldn’t be a problem if that becomes the standard,” Scott said. “The 48-hour rule seems fine with me.”