The Public Safety Service was formed in 7 ABY by the Corellian head of state, Diktat Daclif Gallamby, to replace the prestigious Corellian Security Force. Following the death of Emperor Palpatine at the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire that supported the Diktat's regime began to fall apart. Without the direct protection of the Emperor, the autocratic Corellian government faltered. The Diktat therefore dissolved the CorSec that was far too honest and righteous and allocated most of its resources to the new Diktat-friendly Public Safety Service. Hence, this new Imperialistic political police was tasked with hunting the enemies of the Diktat in addition to its role as a security force. Contrary to CorSec that was mostly independent from the government, the Public Safety Service was part of the Corellian Defense Force. PSS agents wore uniforms based upon those used by the Galactic Empire. However, the PSS was considered more interested in snooping and small and trivial matters than it was in policing. As it was put by Corran Horn, "graffiti was obliterated before it had a chance to dry."
Years later, the Diktat's regime collapsed and the Corellian sector was taken over by the New Republic that appointed a Governor-General to rule Corellia and the sector. The Public Safety Service was turned into a classical law enforcement agency but, since Imperial and Diktat loyalists remained very common in Corellian military and security forces, Governor-General Micamberlecto did not put his trust in PSS agents for protecting him.
Eventually, the New Republic restored the Corellian Security Force. However, the Public Safety Service was not immediately abolished and both CorSec and PSS coexisted during the Yuuzhan Vong War. In 25 ABY, during the Yuuzhan Vong War, the PSS was deployed on Drall in order to stop riots that emerged on the planet that protested the arrival of the Jedi Jacen and Anakin Solo.
The Public Safety Service first appeared in the 1995 novel Ambush at Corellia. In the book, it was known as both "Public Safety Service" and "Public Security Service." Later novels and reference books systematically used Public Safety Service.
- Coruscant and the Core Worlds
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia