New York City restaurant inspectors could be wearing a camera later this year when they walk in to grade a restaurant. Legislation introduced to city council yesterday and backed by over 20 sponsors would establish a pilot program to get inspectors recording their visits to restaurants on some type of camera affixed to their body or clothing. If the legislation passes, 10 percent of all inspections would be conducted with a camera for one year, at which point the program would cease and be evaluated for potential expansion.

Recordings would be uploaded to a secure system, shared with restaurants

The legislation was introduced by Republican minority leader Vincent Ignizio after hearing complaints from restaurant owners that they felt food inspectors were acting inappropriately, reports SILive.com. The legislation would have inspectors uploading their video recordings to a secure network that would allow only the Health Department and restaurant owner to view them. The videos could also be played at trials and hearings to investigate disputes over inspections, which is really the primary reason for the legislation.

The program is reportedly expected to cost no more than $15,000, with each camera costing around several hundred dollars each. This means that, despite highly speculative reports to the contrary, the wearable cameras are unlikely to be $1,500 Google Glass units and instead be something a bit more limited and practical. The legislation does not specify details of the cameras, beyond that they must be worn.