1.  The chief law enforcement officer, and except as limited or otherwise provided in this chapter the chief administrative officer, in a department is the sheriff of the county in which a department is located. Except as otherwise specifically provided or limited, the sheriff shall continue to perform all of his or her duties and retain all of his or her powers as sheriff of the county.

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2.  Upon merger, the chief of police of the largest participating city is second in command of the department and must be designated as undersheriff of the department.

3.  Upon merger, the chiefs of police of other participating cities, the assistant chiefs of police of other participating cities, the chief deputies or deputy chiefs, or both, and the undersheriff of the county are entitled to obtain employment with the department in positions which their leadership abilities warrant.

4.  Upon merger, all persons designated in subsections 2 and 3 are entitled to retain an equivalent rank in the department at least until the expiration of the current term of office of the sheriff, except that they may be removed for cause. Upon merger, or at any time thereafter, the persons selected to fill any of the positions listed in subsections 2 and 3 or the position of assistant sheriff or commander must be selected from the highest civil service rank in the department and are entitled to return to that rank if removed from one of those positions. No appointments may be made to those positions of persons from outside the department.