A thorough detector characterization method is described and applied to analyze the data from the proton switches flown on the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES). The results are compared with the CRRESPRO model based on observations of the proton telescope (PROTEL), which was on board the same satellite. A general good agreement is observed at positions where the flux of high energy protons is low. In regions of harder proton spectra, the CRRESPRO fluxes are higher than those deduced from the proton switches data. One possible explanation for this discrepancy may be that high energy protons penetrating into the PROTEL detector through the side shielding may not have been properly accounted for.