Police officers were persons who served in a law enforcement agency. They were responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing the law. The vast majority of police officers were employed by local or planetary governments though galactic governments employed police officers as well. In many instances they were a part of the local Planetary Security Forces and so served as both police and military. Depending on the local planetary customs and laws, police officers would either be little more than security monitors or brutal and corrupt oppressors of the state. Most however fell in the middle. They had the authority to investigate crime, detain suspicious persons, make arrests with sufficient evidence and use deadly force in self defense or to protect others. In many cases officers would star