From January to March, a crime was committed in Greenville every hour and 40 minutes. The Greenville Police Department displays that statistic right next to its door for all to see.

The crime clock updates the number of crimes such as rape, burglary and homicide occurring within the city every three months.The numbers are posted beside the clock located near the main entrance of the building.

Greg Eans/The Daily Reflector (ENLARGE)

At the headquarters downtown, the Greenville Police Department uses its crime clock to help make information easier to understand for the public.

Police Maj. Kevin Smeltzer said breaking down the statistics makes the information easier to understand.

"We could give you tons of numbers, but I think this way allows people to get a better perspective," he said.

Rhonda Connor, the department's director of planning and research,said the clock's main function is to inform the public, but officers also find it useful.

"It is a sort of motivational tactic for the officers," she said. "Our goal each quarter is to slow the clock and decrease the number of crimes."

Current statistics indicate the officers achieved their goal.The numbers have fallen from the previous quarter, between October and December,when a crime occurred every hour and seven minutes. The total number of crimes fell by more than 300 and incidents of rape and burglary were cut almost in half. The current statistics indicate a rape occurring within the city every 30 days, an improvement from the one per 18-day rate of the previous quarter.

The Crime Clock program was started about in 1995, when the department moved to its current location, as a way to keep the public informed of the city's crime rate.Connor said she has been charged with compiling the information and maintaining the statistics.

"It gives you a pretty good average, it definitely isn't an exact number, but it gives you a pretty good idea of how often these sorts of crimes are occurring," she said.

Smeltzer said the clock is a conversation starter when guests are walking through the lobby.

"It definitely gets people's attention, and as I walk through the lobby, I can usually hear people talking about it," he said.

Police spokesman Cpl. Kip Gaskins said the information is important for the public, which is why it is so accessible.

"Its just a generalization for the public," he said.

"Our officers get much more detailed information, but it is a good way for people to get an idea of what's going on."