Based on the results of the study of the current legislation of Ukraine, literature sources, the article discusses the problems of legal regulation of investigative decisions on the prevention of crime. Justified the author’s position regarding the regulation of preventive measures and their application subject to operational-search activity. It is noted that in a legal embarrassment operational practice chooses those paths that are in the legal field and is not prohibited. These include, for example, of the employees in the units of preventive conversations with previously convicted and other categories of persons who are operational interest. However, the work in this direction is conducted formally, with an overwhelming focus on indicators for detection and documentation of crimes. It is noted that on the basis of a clear correlation search operations and covert investigation (seach) action in the Law of Ukraine «On Operational-Investigative Activities’ it is important to fix the specific grounds for the search operations».

Keywords: operatively-search activity, warning, operational unit, the adoption of the decision, operative-investigative activity, a secret investigation (search) action, the legal grounds.