Armed guards will be providing protection at the Vicksburg Water and Gas Administration offices on Monroe Street following approval of a contract between the city and United Security Services LLC of Vicksburg.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the contract Monday, which will pay the company $2,500 a month to provide an armed guard at the water and gas office from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mayor George Flaggs Jr. recused himself from voting on the contract because he has a brother who works for the company.

“A lot of money goes there each day, and we want to make sure we have security there to protect the employees and the citizens,” North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said.

Water and Gas Administration director Tammy Christmas said the city has had hired armed security guards there since a rash of bank robberies several years ago. She said Coffee Security, which previously had the contract, cancelled it, forcing the city to look for another service.

She said off-duty Vicksburg police officers provided security while a contract was negotiated with United.

Mayfield said after meeting using police officers to permanently handle security at the building on Monroe Street would not be a good use of funds.

“That would take a police officer off the streets, and we don’t want to pay to have a police officer sitting there all day. We need the officers out on the streets on patrol,” he said.