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Readers weigh in on city's recent settlement of a tort claim filed by Portland police Capt. Mark Kruger.

(Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian)

More than 120 people have commented on The Oregonian's story reporting the city's settlement with Portland police Capt. Mark Kruger that erases his past discipline, pays him $5,000 plus 80 hours in extra vacation time and gives him a praiseworthy letter from Chief Mike Reese.

Commissioner Steve Novick has blasted the settlement agreement, and said he was disturbed that he and other council members were not informed of the settlement.

Mayor Charlie Hales, Police Chief Mike Reese, the city's Human Resources Bureau Director Anna Kanwit and senior deputy city attorney Jenifer Johnston signed the settlement, along with Kruger's attorney, Sean Riddell.

It stemmed from Kruger's notice of intent to sue the city and former police Director of Services Mike Kuykendall, who referred to Kruger as a Nazi sympathizer in text messages with a female police lieutenant. Kuykendall suddenly resigned as those text messages surfaced in an internal police investigation and then were made public in Kruger's tort claim.

The Oregonian obtained the Kruger settlement through a public records request.

Here's some of the comments:

Troutdale Ted I have personally never seen, nor read of, a disciplinary outcome such as this one. Parts of this decision, such as the chief's laudatory letter, actually made me laugh. The PPB disciplinary process is clearly broken beyond repair, and the subsequent loss of confidence in the bureau by citizens and other agencies will be a reality. Too bad no one has the courage to make the changes needed.

okay77 If the city had to settle with him for some cash, fine. I think its obscene but MAYBE the prudent thing to do, rather then cost the tax payers more money if it went to arbitration. However, the wiping clean of his record and the issuing of a commendation letter is outrageous and strongly suggests something more is going on here.

danielfboone I wonder if Chief Reese's letter telling Captain Kruger how much he looked forward to working with him was written before or after the City spent thousands of dollars sending the Chief to diversity training. If before the need for additional training was obvious, if after, the City wasted its money.

There's something seriously rotten in a City and among its leaders that fails to sanction a high ranking police officer for running around in a public park putting up memorials to Nazi war criminals.

The Mayor, City Council, and especially those City Managers that participated in sanitizing Capt Kruger's conduct need to issue an apology to City residents and especially to all victims of the Holocaust.

amused It is stuff like this (along with the knowledge that those in power who know that the planet is burning up and refuse to act) that make me thankful that I am old and do not have to live too much longer.

I'm with Steve Novick. Mark Kruger has behaved in ways that make him seem like one sick puppy. The fact that Mike Kuykendall also seems to be a few bricks short of a full load, does not make Kruger look any better. This settlement does not pass the smell test.

Hales certainly needs to be recalled after this insulting decesiont. What on earth was he thinking. Reese also writing a letter to say how great a policemen & person Kruger is.. Really have to scratch your head on this one. I sure hope people take this seriously & they get the signatures they need to recall Hales.

pluckyduck 15 hours ago

Dang...this all could have been avoided if Uncle Charlie and Cousin Mikey had taken white male Mark Kruger to Happy Camp last week.

Once again, any discipline given to public employees, a lawsuit ensues, money is given to the employee, all suspensions are reversed and given back as paid leave, the work record of said employee is wiped clean.

What makes this case unusual is the chief is required to write, in detail, a letter, written by someone else, addressing the wonderfulness of the public employee.

None of this makes any sense. it's like he's being rewarded for his behavior. He has pictures on someone or they're scared of him...the only two things I can figure.

--Maxine Bernstein