EPPING, N.H. (AP) – A state representative says the town’s decision to block 24-hour holiday shopping at a Wal-Mart superstore amounts to extortion.

Earlier this year, the retail giant recently turned down the town’s request to help pay the salary of an additional police officer. Two weeks ago, the town turned down Wal-Mart’s request for extended holiday hours.

“That’s almost blackmail,” said Rep. Ron Nowe, R-Epping. “It sounds almost as if they are saying, If you want us to cover your store 24 hours a day, you have to pay extra, over and above the taxes you already pay.’ Well, that sounds a little bit like extortion.”

Town officials say police calls to Wal-Mart for shoplifting, domestic assault and check fraud have strained their six patrolmen, and they can’t afford to respond around the clock without more resources. They have logged more than 250 calls to the store this year – approximately one in 25 police responses.

“This year, we put a request for Wal-Mart and Lowe’s … to share the cost of subsidizing one full-time officer and benefits – that’s about $70,000,” said Kim Sullivan, who chairs the board of selectmen. Lowe’s is still considering the request, but Wal-Mart declined.

“But how can it be blackmail?” Sullivan said. “We asked them for something extra and they said no. Then they asked us for something extra and we said no.”

Zoning Board vice-chairman and Budget Committee member Ron LaChance said Wal-Mart already pays $262,000 in property taxes and that should cover the increased need for policing.

“I think they’re being penalized,” LaChance said.

But other town officials said that money goes into the town’s general fund to reduce local property taxes, not toward extra patrolmen.

Other town residents said Wal-Mart has been a good neighbor, donating money to area health care facilities, scout troops, the schools, the library and the town police and fire departments. A Wal-Mart spokeswoman said the store had donated more than $60,000.

“They do enough to balance the slate in this town … and the more money they make, the more generous they can be with Epping and other communities,” said Tom Sutliffe, head of Epping Residents for Principled Government.

Town officials said they envy a deal in Plaistow, where Wal-Mart, Home Depot and other stores pay the salary of one full-time officer.

Plaistow police Chief Stephen Savage said mandatory funding for the position was part of the deed for stores at Pentucket Plaza Mall, and all the tenants contribute.

Before Wal-Mart arrived in the early 1990s, the position was funded by Ames and Purity Supreme, among others.

“We negotiated a deal that actually pre-dates Wal-Mart,” Savage said. “We realized we had to look beyond the horizon.”