more than 1500 people signed a petition asking for police chief craig sur to visit the neighborhood, activists say when he does that he will see they need more officers. today he wasn't in his office but they delivered a petition saying they will welcome the chief at any time. >> i would like him to come and tour the neighborhood. come and see what we are talking about instead of just looking at numbers or hearing us talk, come see what we are talking about. >> brenda washington lives at the jefferson hotel. she says the neighborhood has suffered police cutbacks more than any other. activists say in 2009 there were 101 officers patrolling the tenderloin, now there are only 69, a drop of 32%. they say that drop has led to an increase in crime, which is not fair to the people who live here. >> just because they live here in the tenderloin don't mean everybody is on drugs, doesn't mean everybody is poor, doesn't mean everybody don't have an education, don't mean everybody don't work. >> police say the numbers are not accurate because it doesn't take into account the foot patrol officers