The Allgemeine SS was the administrative and non-combatant division of Hitler's Schutzstaffel. However, these SS officers were tasked with the protection of then citizens and commanding SS units in Germany. They were commonly seen on the streets of cities; most of them searching houses for Jews or working in the SS headquarters. The SS recruited men who either joined the Nazi Party during its beginning, or from locals who even needed a job. These officers were usually equipped with only a sidearm.