40 ILCS 5/5-214
Any participant in this fund (other than a member of the fire department of the city) who has rendered service as a member of the police department of the city for a period of 3 years or more is entitled to credit for the various purposes of this Article for service rendered prior to becoming a member or subsequent thereto for the following periods:
The changes made to this item (c) by this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly requiring an applicant to have been on a leave of absence from the police department of the city in order to obtain the requested service credit while assigned or detailed to perform safety or investigative work as an employee for the County of Cook or assigned or detailed to perform investigative work for the department while employed as a civilian employee of the police department of the city are operative beginning January 1, 2023.
In this item (c), "investigative work" requires a systematic inquiry into the obtainment and examination of facts and evidence and does not include the simple gathering of information.
No credit shall be granted in this fund, however, for this service if (1) the policeman has credit therefor in any other annuity and benefit fund or (2) the policeman has not, within 5 years after the date his application has been approved, but prior to his date of retirement, contributed to this fund the amount he would have contributed with interest had he remained an active member of the police department in the position he occupied as a result of a civil service competitive examination, certification and appointment by the Civil Service Board; or in the case of a city operating under the provisions of a personnel ordinance the position he occupied as a result of a personnel ordinance competitive examination certification and appointment under the authority of a Municipal Personnel ordinance.
Concurrently with such contributions, the city shall contribute the amounts provided by this Article. No credit shall be allowed for any period of time for which contributions by the policeman have not been paid. It is the sole responsibility of the policeman to ensure that all sums contributed by the policeman have been received by the fund for the service credit for which the policeman has applied. The period of service rendered by such policeman prior to the date he became a member of the police department of the city or while detailed, assigned or on leave of absence and employed in any of the departments set forth hereinabove in this Section for which such policeman has contributed to this fund shall be credited to him as service for all the purposes of this Article, except that he shall not have any of the rights conferred by the provisions of Sections 5-127 and 5-162 of this Article.
The changes in this Section made by Public Act 86-273 shall apply to members of the fund who have not begun receiving a pension under this Article on August 23, 1989, without regard to whether employment is terminated before that date.
40 ILCS 5/5-214