Fayetteville, N.C. — Fayetteville police say they have received dozens of phone calls and reports about suspicious individuals since announcing earlier this month information about a string of rapes and sexual assaults in the city.

But police are asking that anyone who sees a suspicious individual or vehicle to call 911 immediately.

In a news release on Friday, police said they have received many of the calls and reports hours or days later.

"These calls are still helpful but prevent officers from tracking down the individual due to time delay," the news release said.

Immediate phone calls increase the likelihood of officers tracking down the person, police said.

"The cooperation from the community has been great since the information was released," police said in the news release. "Please keep the calls coming as we work together to find the person responsible for these crimes."

On Feb. 1, authorities said they had linked the same assailant in three rapes within a one-mile radius of North Ramsey Street. There was also a report of a sexual assault last month and an attempted sexual assault in the same area on Feb. 7, police said.

The suspect in the rapes has been described as a white or Hispanic male in his early 20s to early 30s with short dark hair and a medium, athletic or slightly muscular build.

Anyone needing to report information should call 911, the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-433-1856 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.