§ 901. Office of the sheriff. 1. The commissioner of correction of the city of New York shall have custody of the civil jails and persons lawfully committed to his custody and such jails shall be kept by him, or by keepers appointed by him, for whose acts he shall be responsible.

2. The provisions of section two hundred eighteen and the provisions of article seventeen of this chapter shall apply to the sheriff, except when inconsistent with the provisions of this article, the charter, administrative code or a local law adopted pursuant thereto. In the interpretation of this section, a board of supervisors shall be deemed to mean the officer or agency vested with power under the New York city charter, or by other law, to act pursuant to this article.