Joining the line

Sgt. Charles Salaway’s son, daughter both graduate from State Police Academy

Late state trooper’s children are following in his footsteps.

State Police Sgt. Charles Salaway spent 27 years keeping the Capital Region safe before he died of cancer connected to his work searching for victims at ground zero in New York City in the aftermath of 9/11. Now, two of his five children have followed in his footsteps and become members of the State Police.

Carson and Taylor Salaway graduated Wednesday from the State Police Academy.

“For both of us to be doing this, I know in his heart there is probably nothing else that he would rather us be doing,” the sergeant’s son, Carson Salaway, said.

When Carson and Taylor took the entrance exam for the academy, their father said, “Oh my gosh, what if there’s always two Salaways here (at the State Police)?” Taylor Salaway recalled.

“And here we are,” she said. “There are now two Salaways graduating together.”

Although Carson had previously worked as a Saratoga County Sheriff’s

deputy, the State Police Academy was still challenging.

“It was tough the first night. One of the first things that we saw was his picture right here on the wall,” Carson said, sitting in front of the State Police’s Wall of Honor, which memorializes troopers killed in the line of duty. “It’s hard to put into words how that felt.”

But, he said later, “just being here with family ... Everyone else comes here the first night, they don’t know anybody, and she’s been by my side since the first night,” he said, referring to his sister.

Taylor said her late father’s passion kept her motivated.

“I just remember him always being so happy and loving the job, that it really (made me want) to love a job just as much as he did,” she said.

Sgt. Charles Salaway, a 55-year-old Saratoga County resident, worked as a station commander for Troop G, which patrols the Capital Region, and retired from the Wilton barracks just months before his death. He joined the State Police on Oct. 1, 1990.

His Glens Falls funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners.

Salaway had helped in the search-and-recovery efforts at the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. A number of rescuers have been sickened and others have died from exposure to the chemicals that burned at the site for months after the twin towers were attacked.

The deaths of police and firefighters have been attributed to the toxins for years and, at the time, Salaway was the seventh trooper to die from a 9/11-related illness.

Photos by Skip Dickstein / Courtesy of the New York State Troopers PBA Above left, Taylor Salaway, right, receives her diploma from Superintendent Keith M. Corlett Wednesday during the Basic School graduation of the New York State Police at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. Above right, Carson Salaway, Taylor’s brother, also graduated from the academy. The Salaways are children of State Police Sgt. Charles Salaway who died of cancer connected to his 9/11 efforts.

More than 200 graduates and their families attended the graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

Photos by Skip dickstein / Courtesy of the new York State troopers PBA two hundred and twenty eight new troopers joined the “long gray line” Wednesday during the 208th session of the Basic School graduation of the new York State Police.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to the graduates and their families at the ceremony which was held at the empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.