“Local police officer” means any officer or employee of a police department of a contracting agency which is a city, except one whose principal duties are those of a telephone operator, clerk, stenographer, machinist, mechanic, or otherwise and whose functions do not clearly fall within the scope of active law enforcement service even though the employee is subject to occasional call, or is occasionally called upon, to perform duties within the scope of active law enforcement service, but not excepting persons employed and qualifying as patrolmen or equal or higher rank irrespective of the duties to which they are assigned. “Local police officer” does not include persons employed to perform identification or communication duties, other than persons in that employment on August 4, 1972, who elected within days thereafter to be local safety members.

A contracting agency may elect by amendment to its contract to include as “local police officer” all persons who were employed to perform identification or communication duties on August 4, 1972, and who elect within days of the effective date of the contract amendment to be local safety members. The election shall apply to the person’s past as well as future service in the employment held on the effective date but shall not apply to service following any subsequent acceptance of appointment to a position other than that held on the effective date.

This paragraph shall not apply to persons employed and qualified as patrol officers or equal or higher rank.