Hi Ed and welcome to FlyerTalk.

Outside the airport you don't notice any security and that's because there's not a lot there, i.e; no soldiers with automatic weapons walking around like in France or Tunisia or other places. At least there wasn't as recent as February. Having said that, I'd be much more worried about visiting some famous landmark in Paris or London than I would about travelling to Male or any of the resorts in the Maldives.

And those robberies are nothing to worry about either as they aren't accosting individuals. They're only after safes and they come in in the early hours of the morning.