Minnesota State Patrol debuts new logo, replaces symbol with old state seal
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota State Patrol this week will debut its new logo after state officials retired the old state seal that once was the central image on trooper patches, badges and squad cars.
"When the decision was made to replace the state seal and the state flag, we really decided as a state agency that this would be a great opportunity to align ourselves with state agencies throughout the nation and come up with our own identity," said Col. Christina Bogojevic, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol.
The agency had the previous logo with the old seal on it for 50 years — more than half of its existence since 1929.
In March, a 13-member panel convened to discuss a new idea. Ultimately, with input from members across the State Patrol, they landed on depicting the Mississippi River flowing into the distance below a four-point North Star in the sky, surrounded by Norway Pines, the state tree.
Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger, who was on the committee for redesigning their logo, said the star's shape was a nod to the design on the new state seal and it represents the state patrol's mission serving all four corners of Minnesota.
They chose seven trees because early in the agency's history, troopers worked every day of the week with one day off per month, he explained, and today someone is there to answer the call 24/7.
Bogojevic estimates there are 188,000 pieces of equipment — squad cars, uniforms, badges and other miscellaneous items — that will need to be replaced with the new design. The state patrol will first prioritize "front-facing" symbols like those on squads, then uniforms.
The process will take place over the next six to nine months with an estimated price tag of $4 million. A spokesperson said the state patrol does not need an additional appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature to make the switch and can use existing funds allocated to the agency.
The subtle shift in design — only the center image changes — is on purpose.
"We have a wonderful, positive brand image in the state," Geiger said. "We wanted for this to continue to be recognizable. When they see this patch, we wanted to make sure the citizens of the state knew that this was a Minnesota state trooper."
The move from the state patrol comes after Minnesota lawmakers established a commission to reimagine the state flag and state seal. After months of work last fall, the panel approved two new designs, which made their debut in May on Statehood Day.
The old flag was the seal on a blue background with the state's name on it. Now there are two distinct symbols.
Geiger said he and his colleagues considered adopting the new state seal, but they "wanted to have current employees of this organization have input on what this will be for the next generation."
The legislature authorized $35,000 when it passed this current state budget for the work of the flag and seal redesign commission. That money went towards staff support, supplies and travel costs for members to come to St. Paul for in-person meetings, according to the Minnesota Historical Society that provides administrative assistance to the panel.
But that funding did not cover the cost of replacing the seal or flags in public buildings. That is the responsibility of the state agency or department — or municipal government that uses the flag or seal anywhere on their property.
The law establishes an on-ramp in which agencies can use "expendable material" with the old state seal on those items until January 2025.