Maldives Police Aptitude Test flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

SARA problem-solving model

Four stages for community problems: Scanning to identify and prioritise, Analysis of causes, Response with tailored action, and Assessment of whether the problem was reduced.

Procedural justice elements

Voice, neutrality, respect, and trustworthiness. Citizens who experience these four in an encounter are more likely to accept decisions and cooperate with police later.

Police legitimacy

The public's belief that police authority is rightful and should be obeyed. It is built mainly by fair process and respectful treatment, not only by enforcement outcomes.

Hot-spot patrol principle

Short, unpredictable, visible patrol bursts concentrated on small areas with repeated calls reduce crime more effectively than static long shifts or random wide-area patrol.

Broken windows rationale

Visible disorder and unrepaired minor damage signal weak informal control, inviting more serious offending. The response is targeted order maintenance combined with community involvement.

Willingness to report

A trust indicator measuring whether residents would contact police after a crime. A low rate signals legitimacy erosion even when recorded crime appears stable.

Second-channel verification

The rule that any unexpected request for money, credentials, or remote access is verified by calling the institution on a number the person independently finds.

SIM-swap fraud

An attacker ports the victim's phone number to a new SIM, intercepting SMS one-time codes. Authenticator apps or hardware keys resist this better than SMS codes.

Ransomware response order

Isolate the device from the network, do not pay, preserve logs, report to the national CERT and police cyber unit, then restore from an offline backup.

Evidence hashing

Computing a cryptographic value such as SHA-256 over a digital image at seizure and at each handover, proving the data was not altered in custody.

Write blocker

A hardware or software tool that prevents any write command reaching storage media during examination, preserving the original evidence against accidental alteration.

Social engineering cues

Authority, urgency, and fear are the standard pressure levers. Genuine institutions do not demand remote-access software, secrecy, or gift-card payment.

Seat belt responsibility

Where belts are fitted they must be worn by front and rear occupants, and the driver is responsible for ensuring passengers, including children, are correctly restrained.

Helmet compliance

Motorcycle and scooter riders and pillion passengers must wear an approved helmet secured by a fastened chin strap; an unfastened strap makes the helmet non-compliant.

Two-second rule

A minimum following gap in dry conditions, measured from when the vehicle ahead passes a fixed point. Double it or more in rain, at night, or when visibility is poor.

Uncontrolled intersection rule

Where no signs or signals govern, give way to traffic already on the right, and give way to oncoming traffic when turning across its path.

Breath test procedure

A screening breath test follows a positive or refused result with an evidential confirmatory test, documented times, and a sample whose chain of custody is recorded.

Collision scene duties

Protect the scene, give first aid, call emergency services, exchange details, and record vehicle positions, skid marks, and witness contacts before vehicles are moved.

Stopping distance and speed

Stopping distance grows with the square of speed, so doubling speed roughly quadruples the distance needed to stop, before adding reaction time.

Tourist zone licensing

Resort islands and designated tourist zones follow different licensing and alcohol rules from inhabited islands; officers must confirm which regime applies to an address.

Visitor report data set

Record passport number, nationality, entry status, accommodation, tour operator, and onward travel date, because the visitor may depart before the case concludes.

Excursion operator manifest

A passenger list held by boat, dive, or excursion operators. Its absence is a serious licensing failure and severely hampers any search-and-rescue or investigation.

Consular notification

When a foreign national is arrested or seriously harmed, the relevant embassy or consulate is notified without delay and the person may contact consular officials.

Tourism water-safety risk

Drowning, snorkelling and diving accidents, and boat incidents cause most tourist casualties, so prevention focuses on signage, lifeguards, and operator compliance checks.

Written report reference

A document given promptly to a visitor reporting theft, since travel-insurance claims and passport replacement usually require a police report number.

First response priorities

In order: safety of life, preservation of the scene, securing evidence, identifying witnesses, and only then detailed statement taking and paperwork.

Scene log

A record of every person entering or leaving a scene, with name, role, time in, time out, and purpose. Gaps in it undermine the chain of custody.

Biological evidence packaging

Damp or biological items are packaged in paper and dried to prevent mould; non-porous items go in sealed plastic; each item is packaged separately to avoid cross-contamination.

Chain of custody

The documented, unbroken record of who held an exhibit, when, and for what purpose, from seizure through analysis to court production.

Identification parade purpose

A procedure presenting the suspect among similar-looking stand-ins, or a photo array, to avoid suggestive single-suspect identification and reduce mistaken identification.

Contemporaneous notes

Officer notes made at the time or as soon as practicable after an event, then signed and dated, forming the basis of a full statement and reliable testimony.

Neutral report language

Report writing that states observed facts, attributes opinions to their source, and separates inference from observation, avoiding conclusory labels such as violent or liar.