In a quick sweep that surprised early-morning revelers, Harvard and Cambridge city police officers shut down social parties at Winthrop, Leverett and Adams houses in the wee hours after midnight on Sunday.

University police responded to noise complaints in breaking up the social gatherings. But students at the parties complained that Saturday night was their sole opportunity for fun prior to yesterday's start of classes.

Some said that the police were unnecessarily harsh in closing down the parties.

"They weren't too pleasant about it, considering that no one had any academic work to do," said Paul R. Mrockowski '00, a Crimson editor.

In addition, students who attended all three parties reported that Cambridge police aided Harvard officers in shutting down the parties.

And students at the Winthrop party complained that an officer swore at them while ending the affair.

According to the Harvard police log, a security guard reported a party in Winthrop House shortly after midnight Sunday. A Harvard police officer promptly arrived and shut down the party.

But at 12:41 a.m., according to police records, a second complaint arrived, this one from the Winthrop House senior tutor.

Sarolta Takacs, the new Winthrop House senior tutor and assistant professor of the classics, declined to discuss the incident.

Students at the Winthrop party said nearly 100 students continued to gather on Mill Street even after the party's close.

The police remained in the vicinity, they said. According to Budget J. Frey '99, the officers "seemed to the following people to other parties."

According to witnesses, a police cruiser at the scene drove close to the crowd.

Frey said that as soon as one officer got out of the cruiser, he swore at them, threatening to handcuff them unless they left the street immediately.

Witnesses said that although the street was very crowded, the students were not blocking traffic.

"It was unnecessary to use profanity because there was no trouble," Frey said. "People were just having fun before classes started."