Along with other security and police forces in the occupied territories, the division participated in war crimes against prisoners of war and civilian population. The division was subordinated to Karl von Roques, commander of Army Group South Rear Area. Similar to 454th Security Division, it undertook "cleansing actions" in the areas that the locals claimed harboured "partisans" (the term "partisan" was used interchangeably with "commissar", "Bolshevik", "Jew" and "guerrilla").