Phenix City deals with 3 murders in just 1 week

PHENIX CITY, Alabama
Residents in the east Alabama town of Phenix City say they're concerned about violent crime after 3 homicides in the past week.
The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports that the slayings push the city's total for the year to seven, which is up from five homicides in 2010.
By comparison, the much larger city of Columbus, Georgia, just across the state line, has had 14 homicides this year, compared to 15 in 2010.
Phenix City police Lt. Jason Whitten said the recent slayings were random acts of violence, and it is difficult to prevent those type of crimes.
Phenix City police increased its neighborhood patrols earlier this year. Whitten said the department has no plans to change the patrols.