The Cumming Police Department has started a new program that will likely give city residents a little peace of mind when they’re out of town.

Police Sgt. Bryan Zimbardi said the agency launched its vacation checks initiative Wednesday.

The program is available for residents living within the department’s jurisdiction, Zimbardi said.

"Basically, we’re seeing an increase in property crime and one of the ways we thought we could combat that a little is to have people let us know when they’re not going to be at home for extended periods of time, whether it’s a long weekend or three-week vacation to Europe," he said.

"It would allow us to have notification that they’re not home and our officers will routinely patrol those locations in an attempt to provide a little peace of mind for those people who will be out of town."

Depending on community response, the department may also send program participants a log showing every time their homes were checked while they were gone.