The Police Home Guard ("Politihjemmeværnet") is a branch within the Army Home Guard and consists of 47 Police Home Guard companies, commanded by volunteer captains, often with a professional police career. The volunteers are, during operational service; given the authority to act on behalf of the police with a limited legal authority. Their tasks are, among others, traffic control at festivals, searching for victims, and guarding community installations. In peacetime they are never used where there are risks of direct confrontation with civilians (riot control or planned arrests).