officers work in shifts around the clock answering the most urgent calls for service received through the force's call centres. It is not unusual for response officers to work alone and each response shift usually has a number of officers who are authorised to carry Taser. In addition to Taser, some response officers also carry mobile fingerprint ID machines to confirm identities at the roadside. Response officers undergo enhanced driving training and also have a range of other skills required to perform their role including 'method of entry' training so that they can force entry into premises. Many response officers are also public order trained in order to respond to spontaneous disorder should it occur. Response teams are supervised by a number of sergeants and an inspector. Key responsibilities of response teams are as follows: Primary investigation – Attending incidents in the first instance, Response officers gather available evidence and record offences. Follow up enquiries are then allocated to the investigation teams. Missing person enquiries – Response officers conduct investigations into missing persons with a low or medium risk assessment. Traffic – Officers from response teams attend reported road traffic accidents, sometimes supporting force traffic in the case of serious collisions. Specialist crime teams The core policing teams are supported by, and work closely with, a number of specialist crime teams. West Midlands Police had a mounted division which was disbanded in 1999 to divert funds elsewhere. Current specialist crime teams include: Air operations Air operations in the force's area have been provided by the National Police Air Service since 2012. Previously, the Midlands Air Operations Unit was a consortium of West Midlands, Warwickshire, West Mercia and Staffordshire Police based at Birmingham Airport. It operated from July 1987, until it was replaced by the After experimenting, since the 1970s, with civilian helicopters hired on an occasional basis, West Midlands Police launched their own air unit on 10 May 1989. A WMP helicopter was destroyed by arson in June 2009, while at Birmingham Airport. Airport policing The West Midlands Police force area includes Birmingham Airport which is on the Solihull LPU. The airport has a dedicated airports policing team assigned who work closely with Border Force customs and immigration officers. Officers working at the airport have additional powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 as the airport is "designated" under the terms of the Act and some are armed. Central Motorway Police