The following words and phrases as used in this section, Section 8.559 and Sections 8.559-2 through 8.559-13, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:
"Retirement allowance," "death allowance" or "allowance," shall mean equal monthly payments, beginning to accrue upon the date of retirement, or upon the day following the date of death, as the case may be, and continuing for life unless a different term of payment is definitely provided by the context.
"Compensation," as distinguished from benefits under the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Safety Act of the State of California, shall mean the remuneration payable in cash, by the City and County, without deduction except for absence from duty, for time during which the individual receiving such remuneration is a member of the police department, but excluding remuneration paid for overtime.
For retirement purposes, any increase in compensation attached to a rank which is based solely upon the possession of a POST certificate, compared to the equivalent rank without a POST certificate, shall be subject to the following limitations:
(a) for possession of the intermediate POST certificate, no more than 4% shall be included in compensation,
(b) for possession of the advanced POST certificate, no more than an additional 2% over the maximum provided in subsection (a), above, shall be included in compensation,
These limits shall apply to any pay increments which are solely attributable to the possession of a POST certificate, including but not limited to premiums or special ranks which may be established in the future and which are solely attributable to the possession of a POST certificate.
"Compensation earnable" shall mean the compensation which would have been earned had the member received compensation without interruption throughout the period under consideration and at the rates of remuneration attached at that time to the ranks or positions held by him or her during such period, it being assumed that during any absence, he or she was in the rank or position held by him or her at the beginning of the absence, and that prior to becoming a member of the police department, he or she was in the rank or position first held by him or her in such department.
"Benefit" shall include "allowance," "retirement allowance," "death allowance" and "death benefit."
"Final compensation" shall mean the monthly compensation earnable by a member at the time of his or her retirement, or death before retirement, as the case may be, at the rate of remuneration attached at that time to the rank or position which said member held, provided that said member has held said rank or position for at least one year immediately prior to said retirement or death; and provided, further, that if said member has not held said rank or position for at least one year immediately prior to said retirement or death, "final compensation," as to such member, shall mean the monthly compensation earnable by such member in the rank or position next lower to the rank or position which he or she held at the time of retirement or death at the rate of remuneration attached at the time of said retirement or death to said next lower rank or position; provided, however, that in the case of a member's death before retirement as the result of a violent traumatic injury received in the performance of his or her duty, "final compensation," as to such member shall mean the monthly compensation earnable by such member at the rate of remuneration attached on the date he receives such injury to the rank or position held by such member on that date.
For purposes of calculation of final compensation, any increase in pay solely attributable to possession of a POST certificate shall be included only if the member possesses the qualifying POST certificate for a period of not less than four (4) years prior to his or her retirement date; provided, however, that should a member possess the qualifying POST certificate for a period of time less than four (4) years prior to retirement, final compensation shall be calculated based upon the monthly compensation in the next lower rank not requiring possession of the qualifying POST certificate.
For the purpose of Sections 8.559 through 8.559-13, the terms "member of the police department," "member of the department," or "member" shall mean any officer or employee of the police department, excluding such officers and employees as are members of the Retirement System under Section 8.565 or Section 8.568 of the Charter, who was or shall be subject to the Charter provisions governing entrance requirements of members of the uniformed force of said department, and said terms further shall mean, from the effective date of their employment in said department, persons employed on July 1, 1975, regardless of age, or employed after said date at an age not greater than the maximum age then prescribed for entrance into employment in said uniformed force, to perform the duties now performed under the titles of criminologist, photographer, police patrol driver, police motor boat operator, woman protective officer, police woman or jail matron.
Any police service performed by such members of the police department outside the limits of the City and County and under orders of a superior officer or any such member, shall be considered as City and County service, and any disability or death incurred therein shall be covered under the provisions of the Retirement System.
"Retirement system" or "system" shall mean San Francisco City and County Employees' Retirement System as created in Section 8.500 of the Charter.
"Retirement board" shall mean "retirement board" as created in Section 3.670 of the Charter.
"Charter" shall mean the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco.
Words used in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter gender, and singular numbers shall include the plural and the plural the singular.
"Interest" shall mean interest at the rate adopted by the retirement board.
(Amended November 1998)