Do You Really Need Concealed Carry Training in “Safe” New York City?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably in one of two camps:

You’re seriously considering a concealed carry permit in New York State or New York City and want the right training.
You’re curious about concealed carry and self-defense, trying to figure out if it’s even worth your time, money, and effort.

Either way, welcome. This is exactly who C&G Solutions is here for.

New York City is often advertised as “the safest big city in America.” At the same time, your social media feed is full of subway videos, random assaults, and headlines about repeat offenders. Both realities exist.

Here’s what the numbers say:

NYC’s murders are way down compared to the 1990s, dropping from over 2,200 murders in 1990 to 377 in 2024—a huge improvement.
Overall major crime (“index crime”) fell about 3% in 2024 compared to 2023, which sounds good on paper.
But felony assaults hit a 20-year high in 2024, with 29,417 cases, up 5% from 2023 and over 40% higher than 2019.

So is NYC “safe”?
Safer than it was.
Not nearly safe enough to outsource your personal safety.

That’s where concealed carry and real training come in.

Why Concealed Carry Even Belongs in a NYC Conversation

Let’s be honest: talking about concealed carry in New York can feel controversial. Laws are strict, the process is complicated, and there are a lot of places where carry is restricted or prohibited.

So why do people still go through the effort?

Because the moment violence happens in your life, it stops being an abstract policy debate and becomes very personal, very fast.

Every year in NYC, thousands of people are violently victimized—robbed, assaulted, attacked—often by repeat offenders who’ve already been through the system multiple times. Between 2018 and 2024, felony assaults by repeat offenders grew by over 140%, and in 2024 there were hundreds of assaults involving suspects with at least three prior arrests.

Concealed carry training isn’t about living scared.
It’s about accepting reality and preparing like a responsible adult.

The Myth: “NYPD Will Protect Me Right Away”

A lot of people who are on the fence about concealed carry fall back on the same thought:

“New York has a huge police force. If something happens, someone will show up.”

NYPD has tens of thousands of officers and has pulled tens of thousands of illegal guns off the streets since 2022.

They do important work.

But here’s the hard truth we emphasize at C&G Solutions:

The police are responsible for public safety.
You are responsible for your personal safety in the moment.

If something happens in a subway car between stops…
In a parking garage late at night…
In your building’s lobby while you’re juggling bags and keys…

The odds that a cop happens to be standing right next to you at that exact second are close to zero.

Concealed carry and self-defense training acknowledge one simple fact:
You are your own first responder.

What Concealed Carry Training Should Be (And What We Do at C&G Solutions)

Good concealed carry training isn’t about turning you into a movie character.
It’s about making sure you can:

Avoid as much danger as possible.
Recognize when things are heading the wrong way.
Decide quickly and legally what you can do.
Act competently if you’re left with no other choice.

At C&G Solutions, our approach for NYS/NYC students centers on four pillars:

1. NYC-Realistic Awareness

This isn’t “just keep your head on a swivel.”

We teach you how to:

Understand what “normal” looks like on your commute and in your neighborhood.
Spot behavior that doesn’t fit—pacing, staring, closing distance, sudden changes in energy.
Position yourself better: near exits, not boxed in, not trapped in the worst spots on a crowded train or in a narrow hallway.

Awareness isn’t paranoia. It’s giving your brain a chance to act before your body pays the price.

2. Mindset: You Are the Adult in the Room

If you’re exploring concealed carry, you’re not just buying a tool—you’re taking on a responsibility.

We talk frankly about:

The emotional reality of using force, even if justified.
The difference between ego (“I wish someone would try me”) and duty (“I will protect my family if I must”).
The mental commitment to avoid conflict whenever possible and only act when you absolutely must.

Concealed carry is not for everyone—and in our classes, we say that out loud.

3. The Law: NYS and NYC Specific

New York has very specific laws around:

Where you can carry
What constitutes lawful self-defense
Sensitive locations and prohibited areas
Use of force vs. deadly physical force

You cannot afford to “wing it” based on something you saw on YouTube from another state.

Our training walks you through the legal framework that applies to you here, not in Texas, Florida, or some hypothetical scenario online. We want you confident, not confused, about what you can and cannot do.

4. Practical Gunhandling & Defensive Skills

Once the mindset and legal foundation are in place, we build:

Safe gunhandling (holstering, drawing, loading, unloading, malfunction clearing)
Concealed carry realities (holster selection, clothing choices, carrying day-to-day in real NYC life)
Defensive shooting principles (accuracy under stress, working from concealment, realistic distances)
Decision-making (when not to shoot, when to move, when to disengage)

Our goal: if you ever have to defend yourself, it should not be the first time you’re trying to solve these problems.

“But Crime Is Down… Do I Still Really Need This?”

You’ll hear it a lot: “Crime is down. Things are improving.”

In many ways, yes:

Major crime categories are down a bit from recent years.
Murders and shootings have dropped sharply since their pandemic-era spike.

That’s the big-picture trend, and it matters for public policy and news stories.

But concealed carry training isn’t about statistics. It’s about that one day that may or may not ever come:

The one person who decides you are the target.
The one time the person following you doesn’t break off.
The one subway ride where the energy shifts from weird to dangerous in two seconds.

Citywide stats are like the weather report.
Your training is the umbrella.

Just because the forecast says, “Only a 20% chance of rain,” doesn’t matter when you are standing under the only storm cloud with no cover.

Is Concealed Carry Training Right for You?

If you’re in NYS or NYC and you’re:

Actively pursuing a concealed carry license, or
Considering it but not sure, or
Just wanting to understand the reality behind the headlines

…then you’re exactly who we designed our classes for.

You don’t have to be:

A cop
A “gun person”
An expert in anything

You just have to be someone who’s honest enough to say:

“If something bad happened in front of me or to me, I don’t want my only plan to be hope.”

About C&G Solutions

C&G Solutions – Defend with skill, Act with confidence

C&G Solutions provides training to police officers and responsible civilians. Our goal is to teach safe, accurate, and confident use of firearms, as well as the lifesaving medical skills needed to respond in an emergency.

We offer training tailored to:

New York State and New York City residents
Individuals pursuing or already holding concealed carry permits
Professionals and everyday citizens who take personal safety seriously

Train With C&G Solutions

If you’re ready to move from curious to prepared—or from licensed to competent and confident—we’d be honored to train with you.

👉 Learn more and book a class: cgsolutionsusa.com

At C&G Solutions, we don’t just teach you how to shoot.
We teach you how to think, move, and act responsibly with a firearm in the real world—especially in the complex environment of NYS and NYC.

Defend with skill. Act with confidence.

It starts with your decision to get trained.