Members of the police department, as defined in Section 8.545, who are members of the Retirement System under Sections 8.507, 8.540 or 8.543 of the Charter on the first day of July, 1945, and persons who become members of said department after said date, shall be members of the Retirement System under this Section 8.544 on and after said date, and shall be subject to the following provisions of Section 8.544 and Sections 8.545, 8.546, 8.547, 8.548, 8.549, 8.551, 8.552, 8.553, 8.554, 8.555, 8.556, 8.557, 8.558, and 8.559 (which shall apply only to members under Section 8.544 unless otherwise indicated) in addition to the provisions contained in Sections 3.670, 3.671, 8.500, 8.510, and 8.520 of this Charter notwithstanding the provisions of any other section of the Charter. Members of the said department who are members of the Retirement System under Section 8.540 of the Charter on July 1, 1949, however, shall have the option to be exercised in writing on a form furnished by the Retirement System and to be filed at the office of said system not later than 90 days after July 1, 1949, of being members of the system under Section 8.540 instead of Section 8.544, the election under said option to be effective on said date. In like manner, members of the said department who are members of the Retirement System under Section 8.507 or 8.543 of the Charter shall have the option, to be exercised in writing on a form furnished by the Retirement System, and to be filed at the office of said system not later than 90 days after July 1, 1949, of being members of the system under Sections 8.507 or 8.543, respectively, instead of Section 8.544 the election to be effective on said date, provided, that members who are absent by reason of service in the armed forces of the United States or by reason of any other service included in section 8.520 of the Charter, on the effective date of the amendment shall have the same option of electing to be members under Sections 8.507, 8.540, or 8.543, as the case may be, instead of Section 8.544, until 90 days after return to service in the police department.
On and after July 1, 1949, the persons who affirmatively exercise said option, shall continue to be members of the system under Sections 8.507, 8.540, or 8.543, respectively, and shall not be subject to any of the provisions of Section 8.544.