Of the Green Heart, Alphen has the most residents suspected of criminal activity. Gouda is in second place.

With 910 and 860 criminal inhabitants respectively, the two municipalities stand head and shoulders above the other places in the region. The municipality of Krimpenerwaard is in third place with 390 people. Oudewater has the fewest residents suspected of a crime: 40.

This is according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), elaborated by data research firm Local Focus.

Gouda, at 63 per cent, has the most 'home offenders', criminals who are mainly active in their own municipalities. Alphen (60 per cent), Krimpenerwaard (58) and Oudewater (54)also score high on that score. In the other municipalities in the Green Heart, the percentage is below 50, according to figures from the police and the CBS.

If the differences in size of the municipalities are taken into account, Gouda tops the list with 130 suspects per 10,000 inhabitants and Alphen is second with 97.

Local focus analysis shows that almost everywhere the number of suspects fell (in Oudewater even by 33 per cent), except in Bodegraven-Reeuwijk. There, the number of criminal residents actually increased by 9 per cent compared to a year ago.