N.Y. RSS Law § 550

§ 550. Definitions. For purposes of this article the terms:\n a. 1. "Member" shall mean a person who is employed as a sheriff,\nundersheriff or deputy sheriff who is engaged directly in criminal law\nenforcement activities that aggregate fifty per centum of his or her\nservice and is a police officer under the criminal procedure law, as\ncertified by the county sheriff, by any county which elects by\nresolution duly adopted, to provide the benefits as authorized by this\narticle.\n 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph one of this\nsubdivision, member shall also include a deputy sheriff who is a police\nofficer pursuant to subdivision thirty-four of section 1.20 of the\ncriminal procedure law as certified by the municipal police council or\nas certified by the police department of the city of New York upon\nsatisfactory completion of the basic training program and graduation\nfrom the New York city police academy, provided that the employer has\nfiled an election to that effect pursuant to paragraph two of\nsubdivision j of section five hundred fifty-two of this article.\n b. "Retirement system" shall mean the New York state and local\nemployees' retirement system.\n