The police were kept on their toes on Sunday to prevent any negative eventuality at the funeral of Ophniel “Thickman” Lobban, the reputed top-tier don of the Spanish Town, St Catherine-based One Order Gang.

His thanksgiving service was held at the Perry’s Funeral Home and Services Chapel on Job Lane in Spanish Town and his body reportedly interred at a family plot in the Sligoville region of St Catherine.

Thickman was shot dead in the Six Miles area of the St Andrew South Police Division during what the police said was a gunfight with members of the anti-gang task force on Wednesday, January 22 about 10:00 pm.

His killing sparked a fiery upheaval in Spanish Town in the immediate aftermath of his death. The upheaval affected operations at numerous private business establishments, including restaurants, some government entities, and schools that shuttered their doors.

According to senior superintendent Tomilee Chambers, head of operations for the police Area 5 on Sunday, the funeral was event-free and things have been relatively peaceful in Spanish Town since the uproar in January immediately following Lobban’s death.

“Things are calm. The police are out. The funeral is on Job Lane. People have been going about their business. The police’s responsibility today is to maintain public order and safety during the funeral to ensure the protection of the attendees and the general public,” Chambers reported.

“They’ve been no major issues so far and we are looking forward to an incident-free day as he is laid to rest. There is high police presence in the space to ensure smooth traffic flow and to minimise any disruption to the public.

“Also, we are here to prevent and respond to any gang-related violence or criminal activity today and onwards within the space,” Chambers told the Jamaica Observer.

“Spanish Town has been calm since the demise of Thickman. In partnership with the citizens in the different spaces, we will continue to maintain a presence to ensure law-abiding citizens are allowed to go about their lawful business,” Chambers added.

Following Thickman’s death in January, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Christopher Phillips told the Observer that gangsters would “never again be allowed” to take control of Spanish Town, St Catherine, a place that has been infested with gang activity for decades.

Spanish Town has been the scene of deadly protests over many years whenever gang leaders are killed or taken into custody by the police. Among such cases are that of Donovan “Bulbie” Bennett and Andrew “Bun Man” Hope.

Phillips vowed in January that the security forces will do all in their power to keep things under control in Spanish Town and would not be tolerating violent or disorderly behaviour.

“If St Catherine is now seen as the epicentre for criminality, just imagine that network Lobban created over a period of time. He met his demise outside of this division and he is known to be connected to several other communities in and outside of St Catherine. He was one of the main targets for the joint anti-gang task force, based on his involvement in various acts of criminality,” Phillips has said.

Between January 1 and March 29 this year, the St Catherine North Police Division recorded 13 murders while St Catherine South recorded 18 compared to 17 and 24, respectively, in 2024.