Introduction. A look at the operational intelligence activities of internal affairs bodies through the prism of the theory of national security made it possible to identify current ways to improve this institution in the field of science and education. Methods. The system, schemes and concepts of the author's theory of national security, interdisciplinary and interscientific connections of the natural and human sciences are used as a methodological basis. Results. According to the authors, future operatives need to develop new competencies – «Information literacy» and «Information hygiene». The authors propose to introduce into the training curriculum for operational officers for internal affairs bodies such academic disciplines as «Fundamentals of National Security», «Geopolitics», «Objective Psychology and Human Physiology», «Sociology of Everyday Life», «Sociobiology», «Operational Art». The results of scientific research in the field of humanities should be recognized as national property. Further development of the theory of operational intelligence should follow a departmental direction, since each departmental model of operational intelligence occupies its own niche in the national security system of the Russian Federation. The development of all of these aspects requires the formation of a new private theory «Ensuring national security in the process of operational investigative activities of internal affairs bodies» and the addition of the passport of the scientific specialty 5.1.4. «Criminal Law Sciences» with a new direction of research – «Law enforcement agencies in the system of ensuring national security».