Montana Highway Patrol

Montana Highway Patrol

Vigilantes are an often revered part of Montana's history… Helena, the capital, even boasts its own tribute to the vigilantes with a "Vigilantes Day" including a parade and other events. But perhaps the greatest tribute Montana has given them is the symbol 3-7-77 on the patch worn by Montana Highway Patrol troopers across the state. The numbers were added to the patch in 1956 and added a final gloss of respectability to the actions of the original law enforcement group. Promoted to chief administrator that year, Alex Stephenson personally designed the new insignia as a tribute to law and order. "We chose the symbol," he explained later, "to keep alive the memory of this first people's police force." This mysterious combination of numbers has captured the imagination of students of early Montana law enforcement ever since the old-timers who knew its significance refused to reveal it. The original Vigilantes took an oath of secrecy which was strictly observed through the death of the very last one of them. There are many explanations that have been explored over the years, and while their true meaning remains a mystery, one thing is clear. Those numbers struck fear into the hearts of those who found them tacked upon their doors…

Regardless of its meaning, however, 3-7-77 is emblematic of the first organized law enforcement in Montana. The Montana Highway Patrol, in adopting this early symbol, honors the first men in the Montana Territory who organized for the safety and welfare of the people. For that same reason, the Association of Montana Troopers has carried on that tradition by placing the legendary 3-7-77 on their patch as well.

Reference: https://www.montanatrooper.com/3-7-77/