The GU-series Guardian police droid, also known as the 501-Z police droid or the Coruscant police model, represented a type of police droid deployed by the Coruscant Security Force on the planetary capital of Coruscant during the latter years of the Galactic Republic. This Guardian droid was particularly well-suited for patrolling the expansive cityscape of Galactic City because it was immune to both corruption and fatigue, thereby significantly augmenting the efforts of sentient officers. These droids, programmed for law enforcement duties, were authorized to employ force against sentients under specific circumstances, such as potential harm to citizens or violations of the law. To this end, they were equipped with an SS-410 Police Special blaster pistol and a baton. However, their somewhat inflexible programming made them susceptible to being outsmarted. These droids, painted in a blue-gray color scheme, possessed masculine programming and a humanoid form, with a cylindrical helmet for a head, featuring a vocabulator functioning as a mouth and photoreceptors serving as eyes.
Typically, these police droids were positioned in the upper levels of Coruscant. While occasionally seen on some of the higher tiers of the Coruscant Underworld, the most dangerous lower levels of the planet remained firmly under the jurisdiction of the underworld police division. The primary role of these police droids was that of patrol officers, which included performing routine checks in their designated areas to discourage criminal behavior. They would also respond to emergency calls, traveling either on foot or using BARC speeders and Panther police interceptors. Upon arriving at a scene, the police droids would take initial actions, establish perimeters, detain suspects, and interview witnesses. More complex investigations were then delegated to sentient police investigators, whom the droids would assist by gathering evidence and managing crowds. During the Clone Wars, the Guardian police droids contributed to the investigation of the kidnapping of Che Amanwe and Chi Eekway, the daughters of Chairman Papanoida of Pantora. They also provided assistance to Police Lieutenant Tan Divo during the homicide investigation of Rodia Senator Onaconda Farr, by collecting evidence, securing the location of the crime, and helping to apprehend the murderer. By the conclusion of the Republic era, these police droids were largely discontinued, and their functions were assumed by stormtroopers.
The GU-series Guardian police droids, a type of police droid, were employed by the Coruscant Security Force on the capital planet of Coruscant. They were used to support organic police officers in maintaining order on the urbanized world in the time leading up to and during the Clone Wars, a conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Specifically, the police droids were stationed on the upper levels of the city, while the more dangerous lower levels were patrolled by underworld police officers. Although programmed for combat, their main purpose was to prevent harm to individuals.
These police droids had a humanoid structure, featuring arms with five-fingered hands, legs, a central torso, and a head. The top of the head was shaped into a tall, cylindrical helmet. The head also included glowing, yellow-white photoreceptors and a small mouth, which enabled the droids to take in fluids. The units were painted in a blue-gray color scheme and displayed the Coruscant police symbol on their helmet and the upper left section of their breastplate. They were programmed with a masculine identity and could communicate in Galactic Basic Standard. When deactivated, the droids could be remotely activated using devices like a datapad. The droids were also able to ingest fluids through their vocabulator.
Police droids were armed with SS-410 Police Special blaster pistols and batons for self-defense. Their responsibilities included establishing perimeters, gathering evidence, conducting preliminary interrogations, and detaining and arresting suspects. During patrols, the police droids traveled either on foot or utilized BARC speeders and Panther police interceptors.
The police droids were involved in investigations such as the kidnapping of Che Amanwe and Chi Eekway, who were the daughters of Chairman Papanoida from Pantora. They also aided Lieutenant Tanivos Exantor Divo in the homicide investigation of Rodia Senator Onaconda Farr. Their duties included gathering evidence, securing the crime scene, and assisting in the arrest of the murderer.
The Guardian police droids initially appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series episode "Lightsaber Lost," with Tom Kane providing their voices. According to the "Senate Murders" episode commentary, the Coruscant police had been using these droids for an extended period when the Clone Wars began, and they were phased out by the time of the events in Revenge of the Sith. They also featured prominently in the episodes "Senate Murders" and "Pursuit of Peace."
These police droids were inspired by the Keystone Kops, a series of silent film comedies about a group of incompetent policemen. In "Pursuit of Peace," a droid seen sitting in a police speeder is shown consuming a liquid before spilling it upon spotting the speeding Padmé Amidala. It remains unclear whether this was intended to depict the droids' need to ingest fluids or was simply a humorous moment.