§ 181. Police justice. There shall be one justice of the court to be known as the police justice. Said office shall be filled by election by the electors of the city at the city election. The term of the police justice shall be six years and he shall receive an annual salary, to be fixed by the board of estimate and apportionment, provided, however, that if the city does not have or is not authorized by law to have more than one officer possessing the jurisdiction of a court of special sessions, such salary shall be fixed at not less than thirty-five hundred dollars per annum. If a police justice in any city shall have served as such for more than twelve consecutive years, the board of estimate and apportionment may, notwithstanding the provisions of section seventy-four of this chapter, increase the salary of such justice, from time to time, during his term of office, to take effect at the time of any such increase or from the first day of January of the current calendar year, as the board may determine. No person shall be eligible for election to the office of police justice unless he be an elector and has been an attorney of the supreme court of the state for five years. In case of the absence or disability of the police justice or of a vacancy in the office, any city judge or judge of the municipal court shall perform the duties of the office until the police justice returns, his disability ceases or the vacancy is filled. In the city of Albany, in the case of the absence, disability or unavailability of the police justice or of a vacancy in the office, the recorder of the city or any justice of the city court of Albany shall perform the duties of the office of police justice until such justice returns, his disability ceases or the vacancy is filled.