Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan attended an NAACP meeting Thursday night to update residents about the Seminole Heights murders and to address concerns about some policing techniques.

• NAACP officials out to make sure residents' rights respected
• Residents reporting presence of officers in tactical gear unnerving
• Chief promised police presence will return to normal after manhunt concludes
  

Officers have been stopping people for questioning, conducting door to door searches and arresting people who have outstanding warrants for serious offenses.

There are more police patrolling Seminole Heights since the killings and there have also been more arrests. NAACP officials said they want to make sure no one's rights are being violated.

"You know, they knock on the door and they ask to go in and some people just go ahead and let them go in, but what about the person that refuses?" questioned Yvette Lewis, President of the Hillsborough County NAACP.

Chief Dugan said people do have a right not to let police search their houses without a warrant. He also said he has told his officers to use common sense when pulling people over for minor traffic infractions in the neighborhood.

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Some residents said the presence of officers in SWAT gear, brandishing weapons, has people scared.

"We have a diverse community with a lot of children and senior citizens, and when they see that, when you have helicopter flying around and police going around with dogs, they don't know what to think," said Michelle Yepsen-Fields.

"The reason you're seeing officers wearing SWAT gear and everything is because this person is a cold-blooded killer and we're trying to catch him," Dugan explained. "There is no doubt in my mind that cops are not exempt from his bloodthirst."

Sam Esser also lives in the neighborhood. He said he's hopeful the increased police presence will bring crime down overall.

"I think it's a good thing. If people are wanted, they need to go to jail," he said.

Dugan told the audience that there have been cases where a routine traffic stop led to a murder's downfall so he said these techniques can be effective.

He also said the policing of Seminole Heights will go back to normal once this "trainwreck" is over.