The relevance of the article is that the Constitution of Ukraine stipulates that a person, his life and health, honor and dignity, inviolability and security are recognized in our state as the highest social value. The activity of law enforcement bodies and judicial authorities in the state is aimed at ensuring the implementation of this provision of the Basic Law of Ukraine. Protection of the rights and legitimate interests of individuals and legal entities is one of the tasks of criminal proceedings which is achieved through the implementation of others - by prompt and full disclosure of crimes, exposing the perpetrators and ensuring the proper application of the Law. The purpose of the article is to determine the current state of scientific developments of operational and investigative documentation in the process of combating crime by units of the National Police of Ukraine. The state of scientific development of problems of operative-search documentation by generalization and systematization of results of monographic works of domestic and foreign scientists, and also scientific researches on the researched subjects, stated in manuals, methodical recommendations, lectures and scientific articles of different historical periods is analyzed. For in-depth study of these issues, the chronological principle of presentation of the material was chosen, which provides an opportunity to highlight the defining ideas and views of the formation of modern operational and investigative documentation. It was found that today, in the legal literature and practice, along with the term "operational documentation" has become widespread concept of "operational and technical documentation" of criminal offenses, as these terms are used not only in forensic, operational and investigative, but also other aspects , where they have different meanings, although identical in meaning, which is the need to ensure compliance of the process of operational and technical documentation of criminal offenses with the requirements of applicable regulations governing the admissibility, procedure and conditions of its implementation. It is stated that the study indicates the need and relevance for modern theory and practice of ORD conducting at the monographic level of a comprehensive study of theoretical, legal and organizational and tactical principles of operational and investigative documentation in the fight against crime by the National Police of Ukraine.