CNN —Climbing up abandoned, unfinished floors and tightrope walking across balcony ledges, backpacks clanging with cans of alkyd and acrylic, a collective of Los Angeles graffiti artists have transformed their craft beyond urban aesthetics to champion community issues. (The Los Angeles City Attorney confirmed to CNN that, as of April 3, criminal charges have been filed against 23 individuals, for violations including trespassing and possession of vandalism tools.) ENDEM's tag, pictured here adorning the walls of the 3rd Street tunnel in Downtown Los Angeles. And as a result of that, they’re on the streets,” Hutchinson told CNN, noting that the homeless population in Los Angeles is continuing to grow. (“This has strained our deployment,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore said during a February meeting of the Los Angeles City Council.

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Persons: tagger ENDEM, “, Keith Haring, Banksy, Endem, ENDEM, ” ENDEM, Oceanwide, ” Roger Gastman, Roger Gastman, Earl Ofari Hutchinson, “ You’ve, ” Hutchinson, Hutchinson, Mario Tama, Michel Moore, ”, Blair Besten, ” Besten, Gastman, — we’re, We’re, it’s, ” Gastman, It’s Organizations: CNN, Oceanwide Holdings, Los Angeles City Attorney, Oceanside, Los Angeles Urban Policy, Los Angeles Housing Services Authority, LA, Plaza, LAPD, Los Angeles City Council, Downtown, Oceanwide Locations: Angeles, Downtown LA, Germany, New York City, Downtown Los Angeles, Oceanside, LA, Los Angeles