A spate of late-night assaults and robberies near downtown has Denver police asking the community to be cautious and on the lookout.

Seven of the eight attacks in the past 10 weeks happened near the intersection of Lawrence Street and Park Avenue West in the evening or early morning. One attack took place 17th and Champa streets.

A majority of the targets were transients or were intoxicated when they were attacked, according to Denver Police Department spokesman Sonny Jackson.

“We’re trying to look out for our transient population,” Jackson said. “A lot of times people don’t call for help quickly. Make the phone call. You don’t have to get involved, just call the authorities.”

Police are trying to determine whether one person might be involved in multiple assaults and are checking for surveillance video from cameras in the area.

The victims were robbed of small items like cell phones or calling cards.

While in every instance the victims were white men and the attacker or attackers black men, police do not believe the crimes to be racially motivated.

In only one instance did an attacker utter a racial epithet, Jackson said.

In November 2009, police rounded up 33 black men and teenagers who were sucker punching white and Latino men in the LoDo entertainment district and video taping the attacks as rites of passage.

Police conducted a months-long undercover investigation into the racially motivated assaults and robberies, but drew some criticism for not notifying the public sooner.

In those cases, the attackers travelled in groups of four or five, used racist slang and professed gang ties.

Police don’t believe these are the same types of assaults.

“There’s nothing to indicate that,” Jackson said. “The majority of these are solo individuals.”

Police are asking anyone who witnesses and assault to call 9-1-1 immediately and to call Denver Police at (720) 913-2000 or Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP if they have information about crimes that have already occurred.

Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com.