§ 550. Definitions. For purposes of this article the terms:

a. 1. "Member" shall mean a person who is employed as a sheriff,
undersheriff or deputy sheriff who is engaged directly in criminal law
enforcement activities that aggregate fifty per centum of his or her
service and is a police officer under the criminal procedure law, as
certified by the county sheriff, by any county which elects by
resolution duly adopted, to provide the benefits as authorized by this
article.

2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph one of this
subdivision, member shall also include a deputy sheriff who is a police
officer pursuant to subdivision thirty-four of section 1.20 of the
criminal procedure law as certified by the municipal police council or
as certified by the police department of the city of New York upon
satisfactory completion of the basic training program and graduation
from the New York city police academy, provided that the employer has
filed an election to that effect pursuant to paragraph two of
subdivision j of section five hundred fifty-two of this article.

b. "Retirement system" shall mean the New York state and local
employees' retirement system.