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Basseterre, St.Kitts (February 10th 2016):- In an address to the Nation Prime Minister of St.Kitts-Nevis Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris made a number of major and historic announcements regarding the immediate future of the Royal St.Christopher and Nevis Police Force and law enforcement within the federation.
In the address PM Harris announced the historic appointment of Merclyn Hughes as the first Female Assistant Commissioner of Police. ACP Hughes was announced as the new ACP with responsibility for Administration, Resources, Technology and Intelligence.

In announcing the new appointment PM Harris stated “Merclyn Hughes, the lone female in the High Command, has 37 years of policing experience with a special focus on leading in strategic intelligence. “
PM Harris expressed his hope and desire that ACP Hughes’ historic appointment would provide inspiration to all , particularly females
“Ms Hughes has broken the glass ceiling. I hope her ascent provides inspiration to all local and regional females in the Police Force,” PM Harris announced.
Ms. Hughes became a member of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force on December 1st, 1979 and underwent six months of initial training.
Over the next 36 years ACP Hughes worked in several Departments/Sections within the Police Force including Traffic Department, Telecommunications, Criminal Record Office, Airport Security, Fire and Rescue Services, Training Academy, Court and Process, Beat and Patrol/Remand, Divisional Officer Personal Assistant. Her most significant tenure However, was with the formerly known Special Branch Department now called the Strategic Intelligence Unit (SIU.
She has been in a supervisory role for the past 18 years, six of those as an Inspector of Police. She became Head of the SIU in January 2013 and was promoted to Superintendent of Police effective March 1, 2012.

ACP Hughes has benefitted from a plethora of courses including Regional Security System (RSS) Staff and Command Course in St. Lucia (November 1-30, 2012), Advance Management Course (4 weeks) at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), New Mexico (April-May, 2010), Law Enforcement Management Development Program in El Salvador also an ILEA sponsored program (September-October 2010); Police Executive Management and Leadership Training Seminar, St. Kitts (January 15-23, 2009. She has also benefitted from several INTERPOL training courses .

In 2007, Ms. Hughes was seconded for four months at the Regional Intelligence Fusion Center (RIFC) in Trinidad and Tobago as a Liaison Officer during the West Indies hosting of Cricket World Cup. She was responsible for supervising the information coming in and going out of the Center and liaising with law enforcement agencies within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Also within the Center were representatives from the International participating countries as well as INTERPOL. The Center was conceptualized as a means to ensure that information flowed in a timely manner throughout the regional and international law enforcement communities,” she said.

She holds the Certificate in Public Administration from the University of the West Indies.

In 2013 Ms Hughes became the first female in the Force to be appointed a Superintendent.